A Siege Story: The Storm of Life
by TheLoneMercenary
Summary: A new recruit has been brought into Team Rainbow and is regarded as one of the best PMC operatives Six has recruited to the team. However, aside from his combat skills, he is rather reclusive. What goes on among the members of Team Rainbow could very well be affected by the latest recruit, and that recruit is Aiden Mitchell.
1. Chapter 1: The Newcomer

**Quick Author's Note: I do not OWN ANY, I repeat, ANY of the characters in this story except for Aiden "Storm" Mitchell. I'm hoping I can make a good story out of this, so all feedback will be greatly appreciated :)**

 **Also, expect romance here and there for pairings that I like. You'll know who I'm pairing, well, when you see it :P**

* * *

 _April 27, 2018_

 **Hereford Base, Herefordshire, UK**

 **Time: 0900 hours**

Despite it only being early morning, the sun was already starting to shine brightly. Anyone who even caught the slightest glimpse of its light felt blinded, but soon enough their eyesight adjusted to the low intensity. Just about as all operatives were waking up, the intercom came on.

" _Attention all Team Rainbow operatives: We have a new recruit coming in today and there will be a brief meeting discussing their profile. Report to the meeting hall no later than 1000 hours."_

And just like that, the intercom turned off. It had been a little over six months since Rainbow had new members come in since the likes of Ying, Lesion, and Ela. Nonetheless, everyone started going about their usual routines, tending to what they needed and what had to be done before going down to the mess hall for breakfast.

Jordan "Thermite" Trace was the first one to arrive. The Texan was always one of the early birds, especially given his early life when he lived on the ranch back home in Plano. Normally, he felt rather energetic in order to get the day's work done, but today he felt a bit more sluggish than usual as he carried a manila folder in his hand and his coffee mug in the other. He sat himself at one of the tables pressed closer to the far wall, setting the folder down in front of him. Taking a sip from his mug, he started to leaf through the folder, his eyes analyzing every detail that came into view.

"Here early as always Jordan."

The feminine voice slightly startled him as he looked up from the papers and walking towards him dressed in a simple red tee and black leggings was someone he had become more familiar with in recent years. That woman was Yumiko "Hibana" Imagawa, a member of the Japanese counter-terrorism unit, Special Assault Team. The two had previously met at a meet in Jordan where Trace helped Hibana develop her special gadget, the X-KAIROS.

"Oh, hey Yumi. Just in my nature to be up early." He returned his focus to the papers in the folder as he flipped to the next set. Across from him, Hibana rested her head on her crossed arms as she watched Thermite scanning through the folder half-asleep.

"What's in the folder?" Her curiosity had started to pique as she continued to observe Thermite.

"Information regarding the new recruit that's supposed to be arriving today, or at least, that's what Six messaged me." He set his mug down on the table as he started to go back and forth between a few documents that been specially marked with red pen in the top right corner of each page.

"It's been awhile since we last had someone new join the team." Hibana noted while trying her best not to drift back to sleep. "It's at least nice to hear that our team is still growing, even if it's bit by bit."

"The three that Six recruited months back were really nice additions to the team. However, I've noticed that whenever Ying crosses paths with Echo, there is definite tension between the two." A look of worry briefly crossed Thermite's face, but it was quickly dismissed as he went back to analyzing the documents.

"Did Echo never tell why it's so awkward between him and Ying?" Hibana's posture quickly straightened.

"Never. You should know how quiet he is and how often he keeps to himself." Thermite took another drink of his coffee. "Anyways, shoot."

"Those two used to date one another some time ago. It only lasted a year though and they keep saying that the other was too busy to make time for the other. I think there's more to it than that, but I don't pry." Hibana gave a shrug as Thermite closed the folder.

"Interesting tale. Hopefully it doesn't affect communications during missions." He let out a winded sigh,letting his shoulders drop.

"It doesn't look like it has so far, thankfully." Hibana tried to sound cheerful on the topic, but even she knew that was futile.

Thermite looked back up towards her, but something to the right caught his attention. He went to speak, but instead kept his mouth shut as a smirk crept up onto his face. Hibana's face quickly read confusion.

"Something wrong?" Just as the words escaped her lips, someone suddenly seized her sides causing her to jump up in surprise.

"EEEEYYYAAAA!" Her face was flush red while Thermite was trying his best to contain his laughter. She looked over her left shoulder as she felt a tap on it, but when no one was there she immediately swiveled her head to the right and came face to face with the person who spooked her.

"Iesu Taina!" **(Jesus Taina!)** "You just about gave me a heart attack!"

Taina Pereira, better known as Caviera, sat there with her legs crossed laughing the entire time. She didn't have her signature skull face paint on, but she did sport an olive green tank top with black sweats that showed off her slim figure,combined with having her hair up in her usual braided ponytail.

"Ahaha...Eu tenho você bem." **(I got you good.)** Her laughter started to subside as Hibana's face was still brimming crimson while Thermite sat across having a good laugh.

"Interesting to see you two here by yourselves so early in the morning. You offer to bring her breakfast Jordan?" Cav still had that sly grin on her face as she turned her attention to Thermite whose laughter quickly vanished as he cleared his throat in order to cover up his behavior.

"Uhhh, no. We were just discussing other matters regarding the team. Nothing too big really." He could feel his face starting to burn crimson as the attention had been diveted to him.

"Ohhh, talking about the new guy eh? I heard the guy's pretty tough looking and his background is all the more interesting. What's strange though, this guy really hasn't worked for any organization or any kind of military police. He's been a PMC his entire life." Cav swung herself around to the point where she was directly facing Thermite while addressing the topic.

"And how did you stumble upon this information?" Thermite raised a questioning eyebrow.

"From Thatcher. Who else?" She gave a shrug with her response.

More of the operatives started to pour into the mess hall, including the quiet yet curt Mute, the burly Scotsman Sledge, the equally tough looking Montagne followed by the youngest GIGN member Rook, and last to enter for the time being was Frost. All went to their separate tables in order to discuss what was taking place in the next forty-five minutes once breakfast was over.

"Man, everyone's really talkative about the new recruit today," noted Hibana. "Haven't seen everyone this talkative since the mission back in Hong Kong."

Thermite gave a shrug. "At least it puts their minds somewhere. Usually at times like this I normally see Gilles and Seamus engaging in arm wrestling contests while Mark and Julien are playing cards or something. Actually nice to see a change of pace for today."

"I can agree with that. Hopefully old man Souza remembered to crawl out of bed this morning," Cav jokingly remarked. "I remember last time he forgot to wake up for something like this he ended up showing up to the meeting in just his sweatpants with no shirt on. Literally the only person in the room who wasn't in proper attire and you'd think a veteran like him would know better."

Thermite let out another laugh. The three most recent members of Ela, Lesion, and Ying spilled into the hall and not too far behind were the remaining FBI SWAT members of Ash, Pulse, and Castle as the room was now really kicking into high gear as everyone was grabbing food and chatting about. Soon enough, the intercom came on again.

" _Attention operatives, the meeting will be starting in 10 minutes. Start reporting to the meeting hall ASAP. Thank you._ " Everyone started to finish whatever was left on their trays in order to ensure they were good to go until lunch came through later in the day. Sledge and Montagne were still in the middle of their arm wrestling bouts, but by that point, Mute and Rook had already started making their way to the meeting with Frost tailing behind the two.

"Guess we should probably start moving," Hibana chimed. "Don't want Six to be lecturing us on being punctual."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll meet you guys there since it looks like Vicente hasn't crawled out of bed yet. Pegue-os mais tarde." ( **Catch you guys later)** Caveira pushed herself up from the table before jogging out of the mess hall as Hibana and Thermite waved to her. Hibana spoke first as soon as Cav was out of line of sight.

"So, you wanna start walking down?" She focused her gaze back on Thermite.

"Might as well." He picked up the folder and started to walk past, but instead paused as he turned his attention back to Hibana.

"By the way, Yumi..."

"Yeah?"

"You're cute when you're embarrased," he teased as Hibana started to blush and her cheeks became a bright crimson. She quickly shifted her gaze from Thermite to the ground.

"Shut up..." she muttered, earning another laugh from the Texan. She pushed herself from her seat, walking side by side with Thermite until they reached the meeting hall where most of the operatives were already waiting.

* * *

Close to the start of the meeting, Caveira finally showed up, practically almost dragging Capitao directly behind her as he let out another yawn causing Cav to roll her eyes as the two sat down. Six was standing on a raised platform with a giant television screen behind her and a podium directly in front of her as she scanned the entire room to ensure that all operaters were present for the meeting. Taking one last glance, she gave a satisfied smile before addressing the team.

"Welcome, Team Rainbow. As stated a few times today, we're expecting the arrival of a new recruit sometime today. Right now, it's just a matter of expecting the call to inform us that the recruit is thirty minutes away from base, but that's not why I called you all here. I called you all here so that you may all get an overview of who we're expecting today," she gestured toward Thermite, "Mr. Trace, if you would?"

Taking the notion, Thermite maneuvered his way to the front of the room, climbing up onto the stage and placing the folder on the podium. He opened up to the pages from earlier that were marked with red ink and he cleared his throat.

"The person that we're expecting today, is an American male of 32 years of age. His name is Aiden Mitchell, Code Name: Storm."

The screen behind him lit up, showing an image of Aiden. Different stats popped up along the left and right side of the screen as Thermite continued to read.

"Mitchell is a well-known PMC on the field and is extremely skilled with assault rifles, according to his commanding officers, and is also known for his keen hearing and perception of the battlefield. Most notable is his gadget, nicknamed the "Hand of Zeus" for it's ability to discharge electricity in unique mannerisms."

A German voice rose up from the crowd.

"Vat exactly make's zis electric display more different zan mine...or Twitch's for zat matter."

That was the voice of Bandit. True, he had his way of manipulating electric flows with his devices and Twitch had her's with the Shock Drones, but Thermite began to reveal the difference.

"I'm getting there Dom. The Hand of Zeus is known to fire bolts of electricity from long distances, longer than Twitch's Shock Drones, but there is a limited amount of power in the gadget so each jolt needs to count for him. Another unique way for the Hand to discharge is to come into contact with the anchored side of a reinforced wall. He can expend some of the power in the gadget in order to apply an electric field on the inside, but only affecting that one wall, but, the electricity is known to lash out in an uncontrollable manner, making it difficult for enemies to hide in good covered areas."

Thermite straightened the papers out on the podium, looking out into the crowd to ensure everyone's attention was still focused on him at the front.

"Aside from all that, there isn't much else to tell. His employers have told us though that he's often best left alone when not on missions, said he's very asocial on base, even when it came to nights out on the town and other events."

Among the crowd, Tachanka leaned in toward Fuze, cupping his hand around his ear.

"We could easily straighten that out with a simple game of shots. Man probably can't even hold his liquor..."

The two Spetsnaz snickered to themselves as a hand emerged from the crowd into the air.

"Yes, Valkyrie?"

The Navy SEAL seemed a bit agitated with the description of the newcomer's personality.

"If he's gonna be such a bummer like that, why is he being recruited into the team? He could be a problem for communications during missions."

"As stated, they said to leave him be when he's _not_ on a mission. During missions, they said his cooperation with teammates exceled greatly compared to veterans. Are there any other questions?"

There was some quiet chatter in the room for a bit of time before it fell silent again and all eyes were once gain staring straight up at Thermite.

"Alright, if there aren't anymore questions, then I'll be reading off who's scheduled to pick up the recruit at the entrace. There will be four of you, so listen closely."

There were some groans from the crowd since no one wanted to put up with handling the newcomer.

"The people are: JTF2, Buck. GEO, Jackal. SAT, Hibana. And lastly, BOPE, Caveira. You four are tasked with bringing Aiden to the main building upon his drop off at the entrance."

A simultaneous "Yes sir" emerged from the selected four.

"Right, starting prepping what you'll need in order to give a good first impression. Other than that, meeting dismissed."

At the sound of those words, just about everyone got up from their seats and started to go their own separate ways. Buck ended up heading back to his quarters with Frost, as did Jackal with Mira. With Hibana and Caveira, the duo walked back with one another. The stern looking Buck let out a disgruntled sigh as he reached his room. Frost gave him a troubled expression.

"Something wrong Sebastien?" She tried to get a look at his face in order to gauge his emotion, but he simply tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling.

"Just somewhat annoyed with having to go out and deal with this assignment. Today was supposed to be my day to sleep in after about two weeks worth of field work. I swear I can't catch a break sometimes..." He rubbed his temples as he opened the door to his room. Frost gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"You'll be fine. Just act as yourself and everything should flow the way it should." With that, she walked across the hall to her room, entering and closing the door behind her.

"Can only hope Tina...can only hope..." Buck muttered before entering his room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jackal was constantly yawning the entire way back to his and Mira's rooms. His chronic insomnia had been hitting him hard in recent days and he was only managing about three hours of sleep per night.

"You sure you don't want me to fill in for you Ryad? Jordan would understand and I'm sure he'd let you try to catch up on sleep if possible."

"Heh, te preocupas demasiado Elena," **(You worry too much Elena)** Ryad chuckled. "I'll be fine. I can sleep once everything's squared away."

Mira stopped dead in her tracks, folding her arms over her chest. Jackal stopped himself, looking back at her.

"Ryad, you know how worried I am about your state of health. Chronic insomnia is no joke and I think it'd be best that you try to catch as much sleep as you can when the opportunity presents itself. Just let me talk to Jordan or Six so we can swap. C'mon Ryad..." she whined.

"Christ Elena, you remind me too much of the girls that tried hitting on me in high school with that tone of voice, " he laughed, "I'll be fine amiga. I'll rest up once it's done. I promise."

He reached out to her, patting her on the head a few times before heading towards his room.

"If you come back being dragged unconscious, y'know I'm not gonna let that go right?"

Jackal waved off the remark by waving his arm before disappearing into his room as Mira stood there with a hand to her forehead.

"Loco bastardo." **(Crazy bastard.)**

* * *

 _30 minutes later..._

The four of them stationed themselves near the entrance, all dressed in single color shirts of sorts with cargo pants and boots. Jackal leaned himself against the fence, while Buck seated himself some ways away from the gate, being on the opposite side of Jackal. Despite the weather starting to become warmer, Buck kept his signature beanie on him. Meanwhile, the girls were simply lounging about themselves, looking up at the sky.

"How long are we supposed to be out here again?" Buck chirpped.

"Jordan said until we get the call that Storm is thirty minutes away from base. He also added that he should be arriving no later than one this afternoon." Hibana replied.

"And what time is it now?" responded a disgruntled Jackal.

"About quarter after eleven now, so he should be here within the next two hours." Hibana added, "Who knows when he'll show up though. It's just a matter of when we get the call."

Cav laid on the ground, constantly spinning her knife in her hand as a means to keep herself busy for the time being. She sat herself up, looking at the two gents that had been assigned with her: Jackal was trying his hardest not to fall asleep or collapse from where he was standing and Buck was just sitting up against the fence with his legs pulled up, and his arms resting on his knees. Then there was Hibana, to which the instance from earlier crept back into Cav's mind as she scooted herself closer to her.

"So, Yumi...what's your take on Jordan?" she beamed.

Hibana started to blush a bit at the sound of his name.

"Ehm...what do you mean?" she was trying her hardest not to make eye contact with Caveira.

"Ah, c'mon. What do you think of him? His personality, his looks, all that kind of stuff."

The behavior Taina was displaying was completely different compared to how she normally was with being cold towards most, but Team Rainbow let her warm up to others gradually. However, what she saw earlier was something she couldn't let go because of her amusement.

"Uh...well..." her face started to become a brighter red as she was on the hot seat for this. " _Out of all things, why does Taina bring this up?"_ she thought to herself. There was almost no way to escape answering the question, no matter how hard she thought it over.

"He's a good...leader. I mean, he's always the one calling the shots whenever he's in a squad so, yeah, he's a quality leader," she nodded along with her answer.

"Anything else you see him as...? Like, I don't know, a possible crush?" she snickered as Hibana tensed up a bit more. Before she could react though, her comm started buzzing in her ear.

"Hang on a second..." she pressed the button as the call came through.

"Yumi," it was Thermite's voice, "They just called, he'll be arriving soon."

"Right, got it," she replied before ending the call. She addressed the other three, "Call just came in, so he'll be here shortly."

Sighs of relief came from both Jackal and Buck, but Cav wasn't satisfied as she leaned closer to Hibana.

"That call won't save you from my question sweetheart," she let out a giggle as Hibana's face was still burning red. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Cav dead on.

"Look, Jordan's a good guy, but I don't feel for him. Just because we had that meeting back in Jordan, doesn't mean we're destined to be together," she retorted, yet, she felt a twinge of pain in her chest as those words left her mouth. Cav just shook her head laughing.

"If you say so Yumi, but in the end, and I guarantee this, you're gonna end up dating him."

She pushed herself up from the ground, leaving Hibana still blushing hard from their conversation. Walking towards the front gate, she shielded her eyes from the beating sun as its rays lit up the front yard of the base.

"Shouldn't be too much longer now, " Jackal noted.

* * *

 _20 minutes later..._

The quartet continued to wait by the entrance, with Buck starting to restlessly pace around while Jackal was pretty much napping against the wall while the girls continued to tentively stand by the front gate. Soon enough, there was the faint noise of an engine in the distance and Caveira was the first to notice it.

"Vehicle's on approach."

Upon hearing those words, Buck stopped pacing and woke Jackal up as now all four of them stood in front of the gate waiting for the vehicle. After a few more minutes, a silver Sedan pulled up over the horizon line and soon enough it pulled up to the front gate. Two members of Rainbow were in the front, nodding at the four before signaling to the man in the backseat. Taking the initiative, the man stepped out of the car, and already, one could tell how tall he was. Decked in a replica of the U.S. Men's soccer jersey and jeans,he seemed to be about Jackal's height, but was about an inch or two taller than him. He was decently built as his biceps bulged everytime he bent his arms. Grabbing his bags and equipment from the trunk, the Sedan drove off, going towards another entrance of the compound, leaving Storm looking down at four veteran members of Team Rainbow.

" _Holy shit...they weren't kidding about him looking tough..."_ was the first thought to cross Buck's mind while Jackal was heard audibly gulping. Hibana was having a hard time keeping her composure, as she could feel herself shaking a bit, and Cav, normally not afraid of things, reluctantly took a step back in the presence of the newcomer.

"So, you're Aiden Mitchell, correct?" piped Buck.

"So I'm told," he responded, "Is this part of the initiation or something?"

"Well, no. We were just tasked in seeing that you arrived safely. Just follow us back to the main building, it isn't that long of a trekk, " motioned Buck as he started making his way back to the building with the other three quickly following in suit.

Aiden shrugged as he began to follow the group of four's footsteps. Buck was at point, with Hibana and Cav at his sides while Jackal covered the rear of the diamond with Aiden easily keeping pace with them. By the time they entered the building, a few people were already making their towards the mess hall since lunch was quite soon. The corridors fell in silence as the people they passed could only stare in silence at the hulking Storm, and others scurried out of the way, fearful that they might be on the receiving end of a massive punch. Eventually, the crew arrived an armory of sorts where there were racks of weapons lining the walls and a shelves of sorts containing certain gadgets ranging from Thatcher's EMPs to Ela's Grzmots.

"Earlier today, we were informed during a meeting that you have a gadget of sorts known as the Hand of Zeus," Buck noted.

"Yes sir."

"Well, just put it in an open space on one of the shelves here. Relax, trust me, no one's gonna touch or steal it. Not after the reaction in the corridors," the French-Canadian noted.

Placing one of the bags down, Storm took some caution in opening the bag as he pulled out a silver glove of sorts that had a lightning bolt running from the center of the back of the hand down to the wrist. Along with it, he pulled out two charging packs and put them all on an open space right next to The Caber.

"Alright Aiden, I'm assuming in the other duffel bags you got are your guns, so I can take those for you down to the armory while the others here help you get comfortable in your room."

Without hesitation, the American held his bags out to Buck, who now took upon the weight of the bags in his hands as he turned to the trio.

"Remember, the room they built for him is on the second floor,third door on the right."

The three gave simultaneous nods, before returning their attention to Aiden as Buck left the room.

"Well..." started Hibana, "Follow us..." her voice trailed off as she turned on her heels with the other two quickly doing the same and following her to the next floor. The walk wasn't too too long, and before they knew it, they were at the room designated for Storm.

"Well, here you are. If you need anything or help, just call for one of us," she noted.

"Gotcha," was all Aiden said before he entered the room, closing the door right behind him. A sigh of relief came from the three.

"I think...that went better than what we anticipated, " Jackal nervously said, trying to laugh it off.

The easiest part had finally been completed and the three returned to their rightful quarters. The one thing that did cross all their minds was how well would the other operatives receive him?


	2. Chapter 2: First Day, Part 1

**Author's Note: Hello again you lovely people. Managed to complete Chapter 2 today and when I was looking back at how many people had viewed the story already, I was quite surprised to see that there was already 50+ views on it. Guess I'm doing something right :P Just kidding, I appreciate the support early on guys. I should have Chapter 3 up by sometime this weekend.**

 **Until then, enjoy reading Chapter 2 and don't be afraid to leave a review. All feedback is appreciated :)**

* * *

 _April 28,2018_

 **Hereford Base, Herefordshire, UK**

 **Time: 0500 Hours**

The sun was still under the horizon line as the night sky was starting to wane away from Team Rainbow's base. Small rays of light from the tall light poles shone down into the surrounding yard of the base and in it, a single figure was jogging about the lengthy yard. Decked in a short-sleeve Nike hoodie and black sweatpants, Storm was partaking in a very early morning jog while everyone else was fast asleep in their rooms. Given his size and bulk, it was amazing how he was able to get out unnoticed or without waking anyone up. Hell, if Fuze had tried what Storm pulled, about half the team would've woken up. Running along the far fence, his headphones bobbed along with each running pace he took. Audibly, a Rise Against playlist was cycling through, with the current song being "Injection" as he gruffly inhaled and exhaled with each step. He looked up toward the horizon line where the sun was slowly creeping up into the sky, and he shifted his focus back to the space in front of him as he kept jogging. He had been at it for the past fifteen minutes, starting to feel the fatigue set in along with breathing starting to become more difficult.

" _Ten more minutes,"_ he thought, " _I have to keep pushing myself…."_

He started to huff his breaths a bit more as each step seemed to drag on for him, but he somehow kept finding the energy to force his legs to keep moving forward, almost as if he was running for the horizon. As he turned the corner where the fences met, something caught his eye. Standing near the top of one of the towers, about fifty yards away, a figure was standing on a landing, leaning against the railing. Diverting himself from his intended jogging route, he started to head in the direction of the tower. Within ten minutes, he reached the base of the stairs that began the ascension up to the landing. Despite the boots he was wearing, he managed to stealthily make his way up the steel steps to the landing. Standing at the railing, the figure who let out a tremendous yawn, was Jackal, who Storm recognized from the day before.

"I hate having fucking insomnia," Jackal drearily said, "This shit sucks….."

He rubbed at his left eye as Storm started making his way toward the railing himself. Jackal could sense some unnatural presence next to him and when he looked he was almost looking square at Storm's face as he peeled his headphones off his head and rested them around his neck.

"Christ mate, the hell you doing up so early?" Jackal asked, surprised to see someone else up before sunrise.

"Morning jog. Something I usually did with most of the PMCs I worked for," Storm replied, still slightly panting from his jog. His breathing was slowly returning back to normal, but he was still having to take slightly bigger breaths.

"And what made you come up here Aiden?"

"Saw someone was here, wanted to check who it was."

"Well now you know," Jackal responded with a smirk.

Silence filled the gap between them once more as Storm turned his back to the railing and leaned up against it and folded his arms over his chest as he stared down at the metal floor of the landing.

"So," piped Jackal, "How'd you get recruited?"

A shrug was the the only response he was given. The silent morning air once more started to form the barrier between them as Jackal continued to yawn and Storms eventually put his headphones back over his ears, still bobbing along to his playlist.

" _He sure does love his music,"_ Jackal thought, " _I still wonder what makes him asocial…."_

He could feel how heavy his eyes were getting and with each passing minute as he stood, he felt the fatigue slowly taking its toll on his body. At some point, he felt his head drop and soon enough he was passed out on the railing. Meanwhile Storm was still bobbing along to his music, completely oblivious to the fact that Jackal had fallen asleep beside him. By this point, about half of the sun had risen over of the horizon and more light was shining down on the base. Taking a moment, he peeled his headphones off to bask in the new light as the gentle warmth made contact with him. It was a nice feeling to him whenever the rising sun's heat was breaking through, but the moment was soon stopped the moment he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Shifting his gaze to the top of the stairs, he was soon met by a short feminine figure who was wearing a white night shirt with purple polka dots on it with matching pants.

"Jesus, there he is. Was wondering where he went."

Storm looked at the female with a blank stare as her focus was more on Jackal.

"How long has he been up here?" She turned her attention to Storm, and he shrugged in response.

"Don't know."

"Was he asleep when you found him?"

"No."

The short answers seemed to be agitating the woman as her demeanor slightly became more angry, but she exhaled a defeated sigh.

"At least he's okay. Name's Elena by the way, or Mira as I'm commonly known as on the field."

"Storm."

"Oh, so you're the recruit who met Ryad. Nice to finally meet you." Mira's voice had started to become a bit more cheerful upon the recognition of Storm. "Sorry if he seemed like a bother at first, he's been suffering from chronic insomnia for some time now and it's just been hard for him to sleep. Was wondering where he went because I woke up to check on him and saw that his room door was wide open. Didn't think he'd be out here with you."

Storm's blank expression remained as he looked back to Jackal, who was still passed out against the railing, slightly snoring. Mira shook her head at the sight of him.

"Best I get him back to his room otherwise he might catch cold out here. Thanks for watching over him at least," she said. Mira flashed him a quick smile before going over to Jackal in order to help him back up onto his feet and guide him back inside. He was about half-asleep as his feet semi-dragged on the ground as his arm was around Mira, who was almost practically carrying him back in.

* * *

As the two were reaching the entrance, Jackal's eyes opened up a bit more, noting how he was some how moving toward the building. He looked to his left and there was Mira, focused as ever to get Jackal back inside the base.

"Oh, morning Elena. Como estas chica?" **(How are you girl?** ) he yawned as the two were just about entering the main building, "Huh? Wait, how are we back here already? Was I dreaming about being on the tower?"

"No Ryad, you weren't. Found you practically asleep against the railing with Storm right next to you who was minding his business," she replied.

"Storm? The recruit? Oh, damn, that's right….I remember him actually coming up at one point...surprising to see someone else awake at this hour, " he drearily responded. His eyelids still felt heavy as they reached their quarters. Mira continued to guide him into his room as he was still half-asleep on her shoulders.

"Think you can even make it to your bed without my help Ryad?" Mira sarcastically said.

"Aye, cabrear Elena," **(Piss off)** he retorted as he managed to raise his head up to look her square in the eyes. "Don't mess with me when I'm tired," he tiredly said as his shoulders slumped a bit.

He withdrew his arm from Mira's shoulders and shuffled his way over to his bed and immediately face planted into his pillow out of exhaustion, earning a laugh from Mira. The actual day hadn't even started and he was already having a rough day with his insomnia screwing him over again as he groaned in exhaustion.

"Sounds like you're all set then Ryad. I'll be heading back then."

"Yeah….yeah…" he said as he started to drift back to sleep whilst Mira exited his room. She exhaled a winded sigh as she wandered back across the hall into her room.

" _Can only hope for the best at this rate…."_ she thought to herself.

* * *

About an hour had passed since the GEO duo had returned to their quarters and Storm was just now re-entering the building. Everything was still quiet as could be and he pondered on what to do next. He started patting around his pockets for something, but shortly after breathed a defeated sigh.

"Left my phone back in my room…." he grumbled.

Making his way to the stairwell, he climbed the two flights up onto the second floor where he entered his recently new home. The entire day yesterday, he spent his time setting things up in his room, including his PC setup, fridge, stereo system, and other personal belongings he brought with him from home. Noting that it was only about seven-thirty, he took the time to change out of his current gear into something more casual. He opted for a simple black t-shirt and denim jeans with his navy blue runners as he continued to search for his phone. Finally finding it on the nightstand next to his bed, he swiped it off and tucked it away into his pocket.

"Now what to do," he wondered.

He looked around his room to see if there was anything that would keep him busy long enough until at least a few more people were awake. He could play around on his PC, but even with his headphones on the volume and noise might be loud. There wasn't much else to really play around with except a soccer ball he brought along with him.

"Oh shoot, almost forgot to put this on," he whispered as he pulled out a ring box. Opening it revealed a silver ring that had an alexandrite stone in the middle of it.

"Can't believe I forgot to put this on before heading out for my jog…"

He delicately slipped the ring onto his right hand before grabbing his headphones and wrapping them around his neck again and this time linked them to his phone so he could listen to his Spotify playlist as he stored his music player in the drawer of his nightstand.

"Thing needs to be recharged anyway," he huffed as he made his way for the door.

Pushing it open, he peaked into the hallway, making sure it was still clear of all personnel. Stepping into the hall, he examined the large corridor and started taking note of the rooms around him. It was nothing but meeting halls, which he deemed as rather odd since that now labeled him as the only operator living on the second floor of the base. Shrugging the thought off, he made his way back downstairs and started exploring the corridors that housed Team Rainbow. The first thing he immediately noted about the living quarters is that all companies were grouped together based on the organizations they came from. Members of the S.A.S were roomed next to one another, and the next section was the FBI SWAT, followed by GIGN, and so on and so forth. It still added mystery to the fact why he was placed on the second floor and not the first floor like everyone else. Ultimately, he kept pacing around the halls of the first floor and eventually stumbled upon the recreational room where there were was a good thirty-three inch HD television, a billiards table, arcade machines, drink dispensers, the whole lot that one could think of as the perfect hangout spot. Sitting on the couch that had two corners with extended sides, he sat himself on the center couch and grabbed the remote from the seat next to him.

"Wonder what channels the base gets…."

Storm started to flip through what was available, but given the time, there wasn't a whole lot of exciting shows on except for early morning news and some shows that were re-running old episodes from week's past. Eventually he just decided to stop on a channel that was playing re-runs of Samurai Jack from years past.

"Damn, this show used to be my shit growing up."

He quickly became absorbed in the current episode and before he knew it, the next episode was playing on the screen as he sat there with his hands together in his lap. Looking over at the clock to his right, he noted the current time.

"Eight fifteen…..and is no one else still up?" he wondered.

It was common for him to start seeing late sleepers in his PMC to be waking up at this time, but the fact that no one else had really been up yet somewhat surprised him. He started twiddling his thumbs as he continued watching the show while time kept slowly ticking on. Sometime around eight-thirty, Thermite walked into the room, dressed in his nightwear consisting of a grey t-shirt and plaid pajama pants. He was surprised himself to see Storm already wide awake and comfortably watching television as he made his way to the beverage dispenser.

"Interesting for once to see someone up before me, " Thermite noted, "How long have you been up?"

"Since about quarter of five, " Storm replied.

The response nearly made Thermite drop the cup he was grabbing. " _Since five in the morning? What the actual hell?"_

He shrugged the thought off as he filled a plastic cup with water. Taking a sip from it, he made his way behind the couch, overlooking from Storm's shoulder the television. It had been awhile since he had seen such an old show himself.

"Christ, this is an oldie but goodie," he noted.

He continued sipping on his water while Storm was still engulfed with the show. Thermite read the clock on the wall, noting it was now about eighty-thirty himself before gulping down the rest of the water and crushing the plastic cup in his hand.

" _The others should hopefully be waking up soon. This is very unusual for an operator to have been up since such an early hour,"_ he thought.

He tossed the crushed cup into a nearby trash can, before pulling out his phone. He started to sift through his messages, most of which was miscellaneous crap but some did contain information from meetings past during his early time with Team Rainbow when Six first recruited him and the rest of his crew. At the top of his messages though was Hibana. The two had constantly been going back and forth with one another throughout past times, which in itself was a display of how strong their bond of friendship was with one another, and sometimes the two found it their way of passing time until matters called. Feeling reluctant, he started typing out a message to her, but he hesitated when it came to hitting the send button.

" _Would she be a little pissed if I sent her this when I know damn well how early it is right now?"_ he pondered the move. After a few struggling moments, with some iron nerve, he pushed the send button and immediately tossed his phone onto the billiards table behind him, breathing a sigh of relief. Storm didn't seem to notice since he was still engrossed with the current episode that was playing on the screen.

" _Duly noted: He certainly becomes absorbed in whatever he favors doing."_

He leaned up himself up against the billiards table, and soon found himself becoming a bit engrossed in the episode of Samurai Jack himself with Storm.

* * *

The birds started chirping a little bit and the Japanese woman lay comfortably in her bed under the covers as she rolled onto her side, still somewhat half-asleep, quietly mumbling to herself. Her eyes opened up more as she heard the vibration of her phone from under her pillow. Sliding it out from under, she raised the phone up to be eye level with her, and lighting the screen up slightly blinded her as her eyes were caught off guard by the flash of beaming light. She tightly closed her eyes, blinking them a few times, before looking back at the screen, to which her eyes had now quickly adjusted to the lighting. On the phone, there read an alert at the top of the home screen:

 _1 new message_

 _Jordan Trace_

She sat herself up upon seeing the name, even blushing a bit at the sight of it. Opening the text, there read a short message:

" _Hey, you awake by chance?"_

" _I am now."_

A few moments passed….

" _Apologies if I woke you up from your sleep."_

" _Nono, it's fine. Was literally starting to wake up not too long ago. Anyways, what's up?"_

" _If you could, can you swing by the rec room? Something you need to see here."_

The last bit intrigued her as she had no idea what Thermite could've been referencing. Usually when he texted her something like that, it was regarding another funny fight between Montagne and Sledge about who was the strongest between the two, like they always bickered about. Regardless, she through the first pair of shoes she found by the edge of her bed. The pair had been her red runners, something that was starting to become a bit weathered due to the amount of running she had done in them from the previous months during drills. After lacing them up, she started making her way towards the rec room like Thermite had asked her to. The corridor was a bit colder this morning, but it really didn't affect her that much as she kept making her way down the hall. She could also somewhat here some movement from the other rooms as others were starting to stir awake, but most notably, Mute was already outside his room, dressed in a blue long sleeve and black jeans while the other S.A.S boys were still sleeping.

"Morning Mark."

"Morning."

"Awake before the others I see, " she noted.

"It's normal. Mike usually needs more sleep given his age, and James and Seamus are pretty heavy sleepers themselves, so I expect to see them awake in about the next two hours at the latest. Anyways, you seem like you're on your way somewhere so I won't delay you any longer," he bowed his head a little bit towards her before making his way in the opposite direction of which Hibana came.

" _Soft spoken as always,"_ she thought as she kept making her way to the rec room.

Eventually arriving at it, she immediately took note of Thermite practically sitting on the edge of the billiards table playing around on his phone, while Storm was still on the couch, now just flipping through the channels to see if there was anything different on. She strolled over to Thermite, leaning up against the table herself.

"Hey Jordan."

He put his phone down at the call of his name.

"Hey Yumi."

"So, what is it that you wanted me to see? I don't see Gilles and Seamus, so it obviously isn't the usual thing this time," she noted.

He simply pointed towards Storm.

"Man's been up since five this morning…" he whispered, "It's unreal how calm he is about it."

Even Hibana's eyes widened a bit at the time.

"Since five? Only person I know who could be up that early is Ryad because of his insomnia, but a healthy man like him?" she whispered back, "How?"

"Beats me in all honesty. Almost makes me wonder if he'll have to be monitored like Ryad…" he wondered.

A few more minutes had gone by and Mute and Rook had arrived at the room with Rook carrying a pack of cards in hand.

"I swear I'll beat you this time Mark. I can feel it in my blood," Rook spoke with determination, "I won't slip up like yesterday."

"If you say so mate," Mute chuckled as the two sat at a small table with Rook already starting to shuffle the deck.

"Not surprising to see you two back at it again with your games. How long have you two been at it?" Thermite asked.

"Ever since Mark here beat me for a bet of $100 that I could beat him while we were both intoxicated."

"And how long ago was that Julien?" Mute snickered, "Three-four months back?"

"I don't even remember. All I know is that I blacked out and next thing I know I was on the floor in my room."

"That's because Gilles and Gustave had to help guide you back to your room since you were stumbling about like an oaf," he laughed.

"Shut it already and deal," Rook responded as he handed the deck to Mute.

Thermite shook his head at the two, letting out a laugh as he turned his attention back to Hibana.

"Kids these days..."

"Now you're just sounding like Thatcher," she chuckled, earning a groan from Thermite.

"Don't make me sound older than I am Yumi. 40s and 50s are things that I don't want to think about yet in life," he groaned as he tilted his head back. He just turned thirty six last month, now making him four years away from the big four zero.

"You know I'm only teasing." She playfully punched him in the shoulder.

Amongst the commotion from the four people, Sledge made his way into the room, with Montagne trailing close behind him.

"You ready to get squashed in another arm wrestling bout Gilles? Been working out intensively these days and I think these biceps could easily take down just about anything," the Scotsman said as he flexed his left arm, making Montagne roll his eyes at the sight.

"Just sit down and see if you can walk the walk Seamus, " he replied, rolling up his sleeves. Despite his age, Montagne was still fairly built which was something he needed to keep up because of his shield that he used out on the field.

Sledge started rolling his sleeves up as well, but stopped upon seeing the sight of Storm still seated on the couch. He looked back at Gilles, jerking his head in the direction of Storm causing Gilles to look over at Storm himself.

"Who the hell is that?" Sledge questioned.

"No idea," was the only response Gilles could formulate.

A sinister grin appeared on Sledge's face as he started making his way around, but he was stopped by Thermite's arm.

"Oi, what's the deal Jordan?"

"Don't do it Seamus. I know what you're about to do, and do I need to remind you of what happened when you tried doing it to Craig?" Thermite asked.

"He just got lucky. Now move a little," Sledge stated as he made his way to the couch, hopping over and just about perfectly landed next to Storm.

Thermite gave a look of worry towards Mute, who also looked up from his cards, but he could only give him a shrug as he went back to analyzing his hand.

" _Thanks for the help here Mark…"_

Sledge smirked as he looked over at Storm, but it quickly faded as he noticed the newcomer's appearance. He was a bit taller than Sledge himself and his muscles seemed to bulge more than Sledge's. The Scotsman grazed the newcomer with a shoulder bump, as if vying for the attention.

"Oh, sorry about that mate," he sarcastically stated, but he garnered no response from Storm. " _Playing the strong silent type eh?"_ he thought.

Storm's attention was still focused on the television, but he covered his ears with his headphones and started playing his A Day To Remember playlist. However, the headphones were quickly yanked off by Sledge which quickly garnered Storm's attention toward him.

"Nice to see that caught your eye mate," Sledge snickered.

"Give them back," Storm blankly stated.

"And why should I?" he laughed as Storm's demeanor quickly became anger and in the blink of an eye, he headbutted the Scotsman square in the mouth.

The headphones dropped from Sledge's hand in an instant as he went to cover his mouth, and Storm instinctively caught them by the arch as he stared daggers into Sledge. The eyes of everyone in the room just about lit up, especially Thermite and Hibana's since they didn't expect such an impulsive response. Mute watched on shaking his head as he was more concerned with his game against Rook while Montagne was trying his best to hold his laughter at the sight.

"You fuckin' prick…" Sledge muttered under his breath.

He immediately stood up from the couch, causing Storm to do the same as they both held each other in a stalemate that was quickly defused by Thermite.

"Stand down Seamus," Thermite sternly stated.

"You tell me to stand down despite the fact he's the one who attacked me!" the Scotsman ragingly noted.

"Stand. Down. Unless you want this altercation with the new recruit reported to Six…" Thermite retorted.

Sledge glared at him before looking back at Storm.

"Fine…" he grumbled, making his way back over to Montagne who was still holding in his laughter.

"My friend, that now marks the second time a recruit has bested you," Montagne chuckled.

"Shut it Shield Boy…"

Storm still kept his stare concentrated on Sledge, who was now massaging his jaw, before turning his attention towards Thermite. The Texan felt a bit of a shiver run down his spine while Hibana did her best to move out of the big man's line of sight. Thermite remained speechless as he looked on at Storm, before he left the room with his headphones rested on his neck, to which a wave of relief came over the two. Meanwhile Rook was heard groaning, realizing an error he had made with his cards while Mute laughed at the mistake.

"I wasn't expecting that kind of response…." Hibana noted, "I can kind of assume that's why his previous employers said to leave him be…"

"I don't think it's even that Yumi. That'd be more of a quick to anger issue, and clearly touching his music is something one _shouldn't_ do," Thermite stated as he looked over Sledge who only glared back at him before setting himself up for his arm wrestling bout with Rook.

By then, Smoke showed up with Blackbeard and Valkyrie trailing behind him. Almost immediately, he noticed the bruising that was starting to swell on Sledge's jaw.

"Christ, what happened to you Seamus?" Smoked asked, "Someone clearly popped ya really hard."

"I don't want to talk about it…."

"The new recruit headbutted him for taking his headphones from him," Mute chimed, garnering an angry sigh from Sledge. Blackbeard started laughing at the mention of it.

"You mean a recruit since me finally stood up against Big Burly Seamus? Shit, where's he at? I gotta shake his hand for this, " he laughed.

"He just left the room about a minute ago,but I'd leave him be Craig. Last thing you'd want is to get a headbutt from him like Seamus," Mute responded.

Blackbeard started to jeer Sledge as he continued with his bout against Montagne while Valkyrie watched on in amusement. Meanwhile, Rook folded his hand, sighing in defeat.

"God damn it, if only I didn't play that King…" Rook sighed as his shoulders slumped.

Mute chuckled to himself at the Frenchman's misfortune as he passed his cards back over to him. Thermite and Hibana were the only ones in the room that were silent as they watched the others enjoying themselves, but they felt awkward there watching everyone as their minds were focused more on what transpired not too long ago…

* * *

 **Time: 0900 Hours**

His boots continued to click against the hard floor of the corridor as he continued listening to his playlist. Storm rubbed at his forehead a little bit, as the pain stung him just a tad from smacking Sledge square in the mouth with it leaving a bit of redness. Exhaling another long sigh, he eventually found himself entering the mess hall, where quite a few others were already there eating and talking, but all went quiet the moment he entered the large room. Ela, Ying, Lesion, the Spetsnaz boys, the GSG 9 squad, and remaining FBI SWAT members looked up towards him as he stood at the entrance. Ignoring their stares, he proceeded to walk through, eventually grabbing himself a rather large tray of food as the groups started to whisper amongst themselves, their impressions of the newcomer.

"Shì tā ma zhè shì xīnbīng ma?" **(Is that him? Is that the newcomer?)** Ying whispered to Lesion.

"Kàn qǐlái xiàng tā" **(Looks like him)** he replied, as he balanced his toothpick between his lips.

"He is massive.." Ela noted, referring to his tall stature.

Sitting himself at one of the further tables, away from most of the groups, he began to devour what was on his tray, with occasional glances up at all the other operatives in the room who were constantly sneaking looks at him. The four Spetsnaz men were constantly talking about how well they thought he could hold his liquor in a drinking contest, while the GSG 9 crew was noting his relative quietness, but Bandit was still rambling about the electric talk from yesterday's meeting. Meanwhile, Ash, Pulse, and Castle were focused more on an upcoming mission they had in two weeks' time. Eventually, the JTF2 duo of Buck and Frost entered with both of them missing their signature winter beanies, but it was common for them to not be wearing them when they first woke up. Frost diverted herself from Buck, taking a seat next to Ela while Buck's attention quickly turned toward Storm, who was about halfway done with his morning meal. Initially hesitant, Buck made the move to go to him, seating himself across from Storm. He looked up from eating at Buck, before continuing to resume finishing what was left on his tray.

"Morning Aiden," Buck stated.

"Morning…" he replied with his voice trailing off.

"How's your time been here so far?" Buck asked, as he struggled to formulate his next question.

Storm swallowed hard, "Eventful," was the response as he chugged the glass of orange juice next to him, "Eventful," he repeated.

Buck could tell by the sound of his voice, that he wasn't in the greatest mood to talk, but he did take notice of the red spot on his forehead.

"What happened to your forehead? You bump into something?" Buck questioned.

Storm was silent for a few awkward moments before responding.

"Somewhat."

"What'd you do?"

"I headbutted Seamus."

Buck went completely silent at how calm Storm responded. He struggled to find more words to say as he was shocked by the news.

"Why'd you headbutt Seamus?"

"He took my headphones. Didn't give 'em back. So I headbutted him right in the mouth," Storm stated with such vagueness.

"Did anyone watch this all go down?"

"Four people."

" _Shit,"_ Buck thought, " _I hope that doesn't get him in trouble already…"_

During Buck's thought process, Storm gathered what remained on his tray and dumped it out before making his way for the exit.

"Wait, Aiden!" Buck called out.

He stopped and craned his head toward the French-Canadian.

"What?"

"Did you get your training exercises scheduled for today?"

It was a bit of an odd question to be asked this early in the morning, but Storm answered regardless.

"Three-thirty this afternoon," he replied before making his way out of the mess hall, leaving Buck by himself sighing in defeat.

" _He is a tough nut to crack open,"_ Buck thought as looked out at all the other groups gathered.

Running a hand through his messy hair,he could only imagine now how the exercises would go later today, especially after the altercation Storm had Sledge….


	3. Chapter 3: First Day, Part 2

**Author's Note: Hey you wonderful people! Just as promised, here's Chapter 3 for you to read on the weekend. Starting to get into the backstory of Aiden a bit more, so the next few chapters will cover more of his backstory since I know in Chapter 1 I was rather vague with him.**

 **Anyways, Chapter 4 should hopefully be up sometime this upcoming week and at the latest it will be Friday since I'll be busy with a lot IRL stuff. Well, I'll stop rambling for now and enjoy Chapter 3! :D**

* * *

 **Time: 9:45 A.M.**

Storm dragged himself up the stairs back to the second floor where he quickly slipped into his room, not wanting to draw any more attention than he already had so far today. Sighing, he dropped off his phone and headphones on his computer desk before sitting down on his bed, focusing his gaze on the floor. He clasped his hands behind his head, exhuming more frustration as he closed his eyes and leaned all the way back to the point where he was laying perpendicular to his bed.

" _Why can't people learn to just leave me be in certain situations,"_ he thought, " _For heaven's sake, I even had my officers inform them not to have me disturbed when on base…"_

He broke his hands free from underneath his head and clasped them over his chest as he continued to stare up at the ceiling. Silence filled his room for he had several thoughts running through his head at the moment, and it made him uneasy.

"Fuck this, I need some music playing right now…."

He pushed himself up from his bed and walked over to his desk, grabbing his phone. Moving back towards his bed, he stood by his new stereo system as he looked for the right song to play given his mood.

"This one'll do perfectly…"

Placing the phone in the slot that connected it to the speakers, he turned the volume down to a comfortable level as "Room to Breathe" by You Me At Six started to play while he flopped back onto his bed, annoyed with the events of today. He turned onto his side so he was facing the wall as he continued to exhale his frustration.

" _He shouldn't have done that….and now I bet I'm hated…"_ he thought as he slightly curled up.

This was something that had always affected him. He had the fear of being socially rejected among other people, and it was something he could never shake off throughout his high school years. It was strange though, as he often found comfort in revelling in the fact that he didn't have people constantly annoying him, but his circle of friends was extremely small and often times he realized just how empty his life was sometimes.

 _I feel a little lost in this world_

 _I try a little noise and choke_

 _I've honestly never felt this alone_

 _Oh, I just need someone_

 _I need a little room to breathe!_

 _You're making this so hard for me!_

 _When all I need is to be set free!_

The lyrics rang in his ears as they began to slowly bring back suppressed memories of his past: the times he was in middle school and had no one to go to, and the same in high school where he felt alone….it hurt, and it cut deep. These were always things he hated remembering throughout his life because it clouded his judgement, but the music helped him cope with it as he silently sulked. By now, the next song on the playlist had started playing, with it being "Bullfight" by A Day To Remember. This was one of those songs that he always could relate to due to the reality of his situation in the social world…

 _Why can't we say the things, the things we wish we should?_

 _Why can't we laugh the way, the way we know we should?_

 _Fall under the weight of all the pressure that's misplaced_

 _Flaws that I embrace…_

 _Everybody sees your head's hung low_

 _They don't ask, they don't wanna know us_

 _I'll be the one, I'll be your spark!_

 _I'll be your light led through the darkness [x2]_

 _I get!_

 _I get!_

 _I get, so misunderstood…_

The last line of the chorus caused him to suddenly sit up and he unconsciously and forcefully punched the wall in front of him. Pain radiated through his knuckles, and down into his wrist but he ignored it as he gritted his teeth. He could feel his eyes starting to water, not just from stinging pain, but from the emotions he refused to show when in front of others as a teardrop spilled out from his eye as he let out such an unnatural yell.

"GraaaAAAAAHHHHH!"

* * *

 **Time: 10:15 A.M.**

Back down on the first floor, news had already spread about incident between Storm and Sledge as Blackbeard was going around telling everyone about it in such a happy manner. Everyone was gathered in the corridor, constantly chatting about it but went quiet the moment Sledge appeared.

"Where the fuck is Craig at…." he sternly asked.

Everyone's eyes darted from one another, wondering who would be the one to answer to the Scotsman, but the wait only made him more angry by the second as he furiously scanned through the rows of bodies until he stopped on a certain blonde whose arms were decorated in tattoos.

"Megan!"

The blonde American slowly turned her head until she made eye contact with Sledge, whose fury could be detected from a mile away. She could feel his piercing glare going full force on her as she shivered a bit.

"Where. Is. Craig," he tensely repeated, not taking his eyes off her.

"I don't know…...I'm not his babysitter, " she calmly responded. Despite the cool reply, one could easily detect the nervousness in her voice.

"The fuck you mean you don't know? I saw you with him earlier when you two came into the recreational room right after I got hit, " he stated, pointing at the bruise that had now fully swelled on his jaw.

Some people sucked in their breath upon seeing the bruise while others remained silent. Sledge slowly started approaching Valkyrie, his hands balling up into fists as he made his advance.

"I'm not playing around….tell me where he is, NOW!" he angrily demanded.

"Seamus, control yourself damnit!"

The burly S.A.S member turned around to see his squad leader, Thatcher, coming down the hall, obviously agitated by all the commotion that was happening.

"The hell has gotten into you Seamus?"

"Fuckin' Jensen's goin' around telling everyone how that new bloody recruit gave me this bruise," he pointed out.

Thatcher let out an extended sigh.

"Maybe it's time you learned to stop pestering the recruits and actually act like the person you're supposed to be, Cowden. You're meant to be a role model in leadership, not start shit with them and get us involved in pointless antics. Is that fuckin' clear?"

The entire corridor went silent as the well-respected member of Rainbow stared down his fellow squad mate who could only stare back at him in silence. After a few more moments passed, Sledge maneuvered his way past Thatcher and started making way for Doc's office. Thatcher watched him the entire way before turning back to the decently large crowd of Team Rainbow.

"Now, has anyone seen Storm? Anyone besides Seamus?" he questioned.

Only eight members would be able to give potential answers, but no one really knew where he had retreated, except for perhaps Buck, since he last saw Storm in the mess hall before he disappeared off to somewhere else in the base. Everyone remained silent as they looked at one another constantly to which Thatcher groaned out in frustration.

"Seriously? No one has seen him? How is that even possible? Did he even grab breakfast?" Thatcher asked.

"He did," piped Buck.

Everyone's attention immediately turned to the JTF2 member as Thatcher raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Any idea as to where he went afterwards Sebastien?"

"No sir. He just left after eating and hasn't been seen anywhere since," Buck replied.

Mira and Jackal traded worrying glances with one another, as did Thermite and Hibana for they knew some of the aspects of Storm's behavior: His early wake up time, his quick to anger emotion, and his vagueness. They all wanted to share their stories, but neither of them could manage to part their lips even the slightest. With no one else to really answer, Thatcher turned to his other remaining squad members.

"James, Mark, either of you possibly know?"

"No sir. I only knew of the bruising upon my arrival in the rec room," Smoke stated.

Mute remained as quiet as his nature let him be, but Thatcher wasn't taking it today.

"Mark, speak."

Mute let out a defeated sigh.

"I saw the whole ordeal happen. I was in the room with Jordan, Yumi, Gilles, and Julien when the altercation between Aiden and Seamus took place," he responded.

Hibana could feel a cold sweat start to form on her, as Thermite swallowed hard upon hearing his name while Montagne and Julien slowly distanced themselves from the crowd so as to not be seen by Thatcher.

"And what exactly happened?" Thatcher asked.

"Well, initially Seamus tried to get Aiden's attention by shoulder checking him, but he was too busy watching the tele at the moment. He went to go put his music on, and that's when Seamus yanked his headphones away from him. Aiden demanded them back, but was met with laughter in his face and in retaliation, he promptly headbutted Seamus," Mute responded, as calm as ever.

More silence filled the room as Thatcher just stared at Mute, before pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a frustrated sigh.

"I want everyone to know that neither member will be receiving repercussions from this incident. Due to the nature of it, it doesn't fall under the need to be discussed with the higher ups of Team Rainbow, or Six herself for that matter to the point of disciplinary action. However, I want this to be a lesson for all as to not try to provoke Storm. It's obvious now that this man is not afraid to get dirty if need be in a pinch," Thatcher stated as he looked across at everyone before him.

All gave a simultaneous nod before dismissing themselves and going their own separate ways except for Buck, Jackal, Mira, Thermite, and Hibana. The five of them stayed behind in the corridor, their muscles tense as ever after having kept quiet the entire time, except for Buck who unfortunately gave in. Suddenly, he dropped to the ground, landing on his bottom and resting his arms on his knees as he continued to look down at the ground. Both Mira and Jackal looked over at him with worried faces.

"You good amigo?" Jackal called out.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Buck responded, "Just…..relieved that Aiden isn't getting punished in the end. He told me about the incident at breakfast, and I knew that if word of mouth got to the higher ups like Mike or Six, then they might discipline him," he breathed.

It was an unusual sight to see Buck shaking at a time like this since he was one to usually keep his cool about him, but this was one of those rare situations that made him buckle. He felt like he was gonna hurl at any moment, but he kept his composure under control and opted to stay seated on the floor whilst the other two pairs whispered amongst themselves.

"This is concerning," Thermite stated, "I can only imagine what would've happened to Aiden had the tensions been higher…"

"Best we don't think about it then Jordan," Hibana replied, "We don't need this unwanted stress."

A loud crash was quite audibly heard coming from up above on the second floor, garnering everyone's attention from below. Everyone started exchanging looks, wondering if anyone had an answer or explanation as to what the crash was…

* * *

 **Time: 10:30 A.M.**

He was breathing heavy as he sat on the edge of his bed, blood trickled from his palm while the shattered remains of the lamp lay at his feet. In the background, "Blackbirds" by Linkin Park was playing as the sorrowful tune went in hand with his quiet sobs. At the same time, he was trying his best not to get his blood everywhere, despite some of it already being on his forehead when he pressed his hand to it moments earlier as he felt his mind cracking. However, his attention was quickly diverted when he heard a knock on his door, but he ignored it anyway as he continued to inhale and exhale his mixed emotions. The knocking persisted and each one became audibly louder to the point that Storm turned down the music on his stereo and started focusing his gaze on the door.

"Aiden, I know you're in there man. It's Jordan, I'm here with Yumi. We heard a crash from upstairs while we were on the other floor. You alright in there?"

No response came, and instead Storm outright ignored the offer for help. He laid back down on his bed, letting his bleeding palm continue to run, with some of the blood starting to drip onto the floor. However, his attention was turned back to the door as he heard it slowly open before him and in the doorway stood a shocked Hibana and Thermite.

"Holy shit…."

Those were the only words that Thermite could formulate at the sight of the scene.

"Yumi, go get Gustave. We're gonna need medical attention stat for this," he stated.

Hibana quickly nodded before heading back downstairs to get Rainbow's most trusted medic while Thermite still remained in the doorway, speechless.

"Leave. Me. Be." Storm ordered as he rolled onto his side.

"There is no way in absolute hell that I'm leaving you be. Not with your condition, " Thermite sternly replied.

"Why are you people always the fucking same…"

The response caught Thermite off guard, rendering him unable to fire another response back at Storm as he continued to lay there, his hand still dripping blood onto the floor.

"Here…...at least let me clean that up…." Thermite said, his voice trailing off.

He felt like he was walking up to a sleeping bear as he drew out a handkerchief of sorts and started making the move for Storm's palm. His attention wasn't even on Thermite anymore as he focused more on staring at the far wall while Thermite wiped off most of the blood from his palm before pulling out a wrap of gauze and carefully wrapped the wound. Once he finished patching Storm and ensuring that it was on tight, the bigger American curled his hand up into a fist, wincing a bit at the pain that shot through his hand and down into his wrist. Thermite didn't know what else to talk about as Storm laid before him, and it was probably best that he didn't ask anything after remembering what he was told by Six and Storm's previous superiors. Instead he grabbed an extra chair that Storm had leaned up against the wall and sat himself in it, keeping his attention on Storm so as to ensure that he didn't do anything stupid.

After a few more minutes, Hibana showed up with Doc right behind her as he came in with a small medkit himself and he overlooked the damage himself.

"Bon dieu…" **(Good lord)** was all Doc said upon coming to his conclusion, "How long has he been here like this?"

"At best, I want to say five minutes, ten at most," Thermite replied.

"I see…..well, Monsieur Aiden, if you would please come with me. It'd be best that we have a private conversation in my office," Doc stated, his French accent ringing through.

Aiden glared at him before looking back towards Thermite, who gave him a nod in response. Reluctantly, he pushed himself up off his bed, avoiding the use of his injured hand as best he could and followed Doc out of the room, as silent he could be. Hibana looked more worried than Thermite did as the pair were left standing in the newcomer's room as she continued to watch them go down the stairs, with Storm briefly glancing up at her before refocusing on the corridor before him. Meanwhile, Thermite started picking up the shattered remains of the lamp, with Hibana coming back to help him pick up whatever was left.

"Remind me to buy him a new lamp at some point," Thermite noted as he dumped what remains he carried into an empty bin.

"Are you really trying to crack jokes right now Jordan?" Hibana gave him a look of irritation.

"Gotta defuse the tension somehow," he replied back.

She playfully punched him in the shoulder again after she dumped what she carried into the bin.

"Is this punch thing gonna be a recurring theme?"

"If you keep acting the way you are, then maybe," she smirked.

Thermite shook his head laughing as the two made their way out of the room after cleaning up the rest of the glass. The moment had made them forget about the mess for the time being as they made their way down the stairs, in which Buck was there to greet them.

"Oh, what's up Sebastien?" Thermite asked.

"Les problèmes de la vie," **(Life's problems)**

Both understood his complaint, despite neither of them having good experience in French.

"Anyways, where are you two headed?"

"To be honest, I don't know. We just finished cleaning up in Aiden's room," the Texan replied.

"What happened up there?"

"No idea. We just walked in and he was just silently laying there on his bed with his bedside lamp shattered on the floor. His palm was covered in blood, but I wrapped it up in gauze before Doc took him to his office."

"So that's where those two went," Buck sighed, "Guess they'll be excusing him from this afternoon's training exercises."

"Why would they do that?" Hibana asked.

"Because anything like this that's getting examined by Gustave, usually results in cancellation of today's tasks for that operator. And I'm not referring to that gash on his hand. They'd probably still have him do exercises, but most likely only drills and what not until the injury is healed."

Thermite immediately knew what Buck was referring to as Storm's words echoed in his head: " _Why are you people always the fucking same…"_ That was the only time Storm ever spoke to him throughout the short ordeal. His eyes went blank as Hibana curiously looked up at him.

"Uh, Earth to Jordan? You okay?" she asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

"Huh?"

"You blanked out on us there for a second."

"Oh, yeah, my bad. Sorry."

He scratched the back of his head upon the moment of embarrassment while Buck softly laughed at him. His phone suddenly went off and pulling it out he saw one new message on his screen. It was from Six.

" _Shit…."_ was the only thing running through his mind upon seeing the notification.

"I gotta dip for now. Six just messaged me something so I'm gonna go see what she wants," he hurriedly said before jogging down the corridor, leaving Hibana and Buck by themselves. Buck simply turned his attention away from Thermite, back over to Hibana and he noticed that she was still watching the Texan run down the hallway.

"Hehe, still staring I see," he chuckled.

The remark made her cheeks blush bright red and used her arm in an in vain attempt to hide her embarrassment, which only made Buck laugh more at the situation.

"Don't tell me Taina told you about yesterday."

"Why would she tell me anything? She always call me 'Bucko' and ignores me about half the time. You know how selective she is when it comes to talking to people."

"Oh, right….."

"However, judging by that crimson color on your face, something tells me that someone has a little crush," he snickered.

"Shut up!" she retorted, only adding to Buck's amusement. "We're just friends. Jordan helped me develop the X-KAIROS and I've been thankful ever since. That experience just gave us time to bond as friends Sebastien. Nothing more."

The JTF2 member continued to chuckle to himself as Hibana watched on irritated.

"Relax Yumiko. I'm not gonna pester you about it. All I can say is that if it happens, it happens."

"What do you mean by 'it'?"

"Dating," he bluntly replied.

The mention of the word made her face light up brighter than her fire flower pellets as Buck shook his head.

"You really do get embarrassed easily at the mention of love don't you?"

"It's because I've never been in a serious relationship with anyone."

"Well who knows, come the winter retreat that might be a different story," he noted as he started to walk away. "I got some other business to take care of, I'll catch you later tonight Yumi."

She could still feel how hot her face was as Buck walked away. Despite her denying what he stated about her, a piece of her felt like he was right in some way.

* * *

 **Time: 10:40 A.M.**

Entering Doc's office for the first time was a bit of a surprise for Storm because initially he thought it would be smaller than what it actually was. Taking the lead, Doc motioned for Storm to sit himself on the table as he started prepping to go with protocol. Storm simply stepped up and sat down on the table while Doc came back with white latex gloves on.

"Alright, let's take a look at that wound," Doc bluntly stated.

Uncurling his fist, Storm extended his hand out to Doc who in turn unwrapped the gauze that Thermite had previously wrapped on. After peeling off the last layer, he was able to fully inspect the damage. It looked nothing more than a simple laceration on his palm, and Doc carefully tugged the edges to see if the cut went any deeper and thankfully it didn't.

"You're lucky that this is only a simple laceration Mr. Mitchell. Had this been about an inch or two deeper, you would've need stitches. Something an operator never wishes to have. It hinders the ability to do anything properly and often times leaves them inactive for some period of time. Thankfully you got lucky."

Storm remained silent as Doc went about cleaning the wound, making sure everything looked clean before adding the disinfectant and wrapping the injury in a new thing of gauze. He seemed satisfied with his work as he put away his supplies while Storm remained on the table, looking down at the ground. When Doc came back around, he could sense the tension coming from him. Leaning up against the counter across from Storm, he observed him up and down before clearing his throat.

"If you don't mind me asking Aiden, I would like to know more about your social behavior, I know I mainly specialize in healing people, but I'm also able to help people cope with themselves. Rest assured, anything you say in here will be confidential between you and me. Je promets que." **(I promise that)**

There was a look of reluctance in Storm's eyes when he raised his head up, and this was something that Doc easily detected as he gave Storm a slight smile.

"Right then. First off, everyone just about knows that you're an asocial type of person, meaning you really don't prefer the whole socializing idea. This is different compared to what Ms. Pereira has, which is _anti-social_ personality, meaning she doesn't want anything to do with socializing. She's usually completely against it in most situations. What I want to know though is what exactly caused this behavior."

There was a still, silent air once Doc declared his intention. Storm continued to stare at him square in the face, but he let out an exhausted sigh.

"It started back in middle school. Everyone was starting to get to that point where they were hanging with many other people and I got left behind. I made new friends, but I could never regain the amount of people I once called a friend. It was overwhelming and soon enough I spent the majority of middle school and high school by myself, at home, except for when the school events were happening. Those were the only times I left the house."

Doc nodded along with Storm's response.

"I see…..and I take it because of how little social interaction you had, you began to speak less and less, correct?"

Storm nodded. "When I was with friends, it would be different. I'd be talking like there was no tomorrow."

This brought a smile to Doc's face as he continued to nod along.

"I understand where you're coming from Aiden. Both Taina and Mark have shared similar stories about how uncomfortable it was and the insecurities they felt. I told them not to worry so much because this is a team of great people, and we always care and watch out for one another. That is our second priority here at Team Rainbow. To care for our teammates. Saving the world is important, but it's just about on par with ensuring that the well beings of others are in stable condition."

He patted Storm on the shoulder.

"I've told this to just about everyone who's come here when their psyche isn't the best at the time: Feel free to come in and talk about it with me, as long as I don't have someone I'm working with, then I'm free to talk."

Storm nodded along a few times before hopping off the table as Doc opened the door for him.

"I'll put in a report for Baker and tell him to hold off on your training until tomorrow morning. 'Till then, get some rest and just stay away from doing anything stressful. He's going to want your mind in the right place come then."

Storm responded with a slight nod before leaving the office, still looking at his bandaged hand. Today for him had been absolute madness to go from a casual morning jog, to winding up in the medical office on his first day at base no less. Giving himself a reassuring nod, he started making way back to his room.

* * *

 **Time: 11:00 A.M.**

Meanwhile, at a building that was smaller and adjacent to the main building, Thermite was roaming the halls. The corridors he was walking around in were the ones that had all the offices used by the higher ups, including Six. Eventually at the very end of the one of the winding corridors, sat a mahogany wooden door that had a plaque reading "Team Rainbow Leader: Six" and that was all he needed to know that he was in the right spot. Walking up to it, he promptly knocked on the wood, awaiting a response.

"Enter," called out a feminine voice from the other side.

Pushing the handle down, the door opened. Inside, Thermite was met by Six, but at the same time Thatcher, who was already seated in one of the two chairs in front of Six's desk. The two exchanged a glance, before Thermite took the other empty seat.

"Right then. Jordan, I know you're already a bit confused as to why I brought Mr. Baker in as well. Since he's one of the oldest and most respected members of Rainbow as well as being a good role model of a leader, I wanted him in on this meeting as well."

"It ain't that serious Jordan, so you can relax yer shoulders mate," Thatcher stated.

Those words made the situation a bit more calming as Thermite let his shoulders drop a bit. Glancing at Thatcher one last time, he turned back toward Six.

"So what is this meeting even about?"

"Well, Thatcher brought to my attention that there was a bit of an altercation between members Seamus Cowden and Aiden Mitchell."

Six held up a single piece of paper that was laying in the middle of the her desk.

"This is the report that Mike here brought to me after questioning Mr. Chandar about it, and you being one of the most trustworthy members of Team Rainbow, I wanted you to confirm that some of these events happened," she stated, glancing up at Thermite.

"Okay…"

"First off, did Seamus try to provoke Aiden?"

"Yes, on two occasions."

"Second, did Seamus take Aiden's headphones away from him?"

"Yes. That's what led to the altercation."

"Third, did Aiden respond by headbutting Seamus in the jaw?"

"Yes."

"Lastly, did the two go their own separate ways after it happened?"

"Yes, but only after I told Seamus to stand down."

"I see….." Six said, jotting down on the paper.

"I think Seamus has learned his lesson now," Thatcher said, "After that talk I gave him in the hall, I don't think he'll be trying that shit again with any recruits."

"Language, Mr. Baker."

"Right, apologies."

Folding up the paper, Six tossed onto the far corner of her desk.

"Is…..that it, Six?" Thermite asked

She nodded.

"Unless either of you have any more questions, you're free to go back about your duties. Baker, make sure everyone scheduled for this afternoon's drills are there."

"Yes ma'am," Thatcher replied.

Both members stood up from their seats, silently leaving Six's office as they began the walk back to the main building.

* * *

 **Time: 3:25 P.M.**

Those who had been scheduled were starting to show up, and Thatcher was there to overlook everyone. In the distance, on the same tower that Jackal and Storm were at hours earlier, Thermite and Six were watching on. Seeing the crowd, Thatcher pulled out a clipboard he had on hand.

"Just to make sure that everyone who was scheduled for this afternoon's exercises is here, I'll be taking roll call. So, first, Eliza Cohen."

"Here."

"Monika Weiss."

"Here."

"Miles Campbell."

"Present."

"Sebastien Cote."

"Here."

"Julien Nizan."

"Present."

"Aiden Mitchell."

No response was given, causing everyone to start looking around in confusion, except for Buck since he was the only person who knew the current situation regarding the newcomer.

"Where's Aiden at?" Thatcher questioned.

Just then, Doc started making his way out from the building, carrying a few papers with him as he headed toward the training group. Without saying a word, he simply handed the papers to Thatcher.

"What is this?" Thatcher asked, sounding a bit irritated.

"Just read the documents…" Doc responded.

Thatcher quickly scanned through the papers, nodding along with some of the stuff that was written down before handing most of the papers back to Doc, except for the one that contained the report.

"Right then, thanks Gustave."

Doc gave him a small nod before making his way back to the building.

"Alright, so Aiden won't be making today's drills, but he'll be doing solo exercises tomorrow morning."

There was some chatter among the rest of the group as Buck let out a relaxed sigh.

"Alright, quiet quiet. Today's drills are gonna involve the usual scenarios. Disarming bombs, securing a container, and extracting a hostage from within a heavily fortified safehouse controlled by the enemy. Normally, I know some of you are better when it comes to holding down a designated area, but in the case that we have to improvise some squads, it's important that we train everyone in every kind of situation whether it's rushing and attacking, or holding down the fort. That clear?"

A loud, and simultaneous "Yes sir!" came from the small group.

"Right, let's get started then. This way," Thatcher motioned.

Thermite and Six continued to watch on from the tower as Thatcher led the group to one of the makeshift buildings on site.

"It's a shame. I was really looking forward to Aiden's skills on the field," Six stated, "But unfortunately, life's problems do get in the way."

Thermite could mostly agree with that statement, however, he wasn't sure if what happened with Storm was something that could be labeled as a problem of life, Thermite also contemplated the idea that Storm may have a mental issue. Regardless, he had a certain feeling that everything would turn out fine in the end. They always did, didn't they?

" _Who knows….."_ he thought to himself.

Keeping his focus on the group, he couldn't help but think over that entirety of events that went down today at base. It was something highly unusual, and it made him feel uneasy for how the rest of the week would turn out for everyone else...


	4. Chapter 4: Remembering the Past

**Author's Note: Hello once again guys. Spent a majority of last night staying up to finish this chapter. I really wanted it done and after doing all the final edits, I think you guys might enjoy this one. As stated before, this chapter and the one after will be focusing more on the backstory and development of Aiden. Afterwards, I'll start getting into the real juicy stuff that I know most of you are waiting for, but patience is a virtue :P**

 **Anyways, enjoy Chapter 4. Chapter 5 should hopefully be up by sometime this weekend, Sunday at the latest, and if not, no later than Tuesday. Until then, enjoy reading! :D**

 **P.S. Don't be afraid to leave a review. I always appreciate the feedback so that way I can constructively make each chapter to come out as a good,quality reading.**

* * *

 _April 29, 2018_

 **Time: 10:30 A.M.**

The day had already started long ago for Storm as he started leaving the mess hall after finishing breakfast. He had sat by himself again, and this time no one came to sit with him, not even Buck, and he figured it must've been out of respect for what happened yesterday. Before he started to go back to his room, he quickly stopped by Doc's office in order to change the bandage on his hand. Once that was taken care of, he made his way back up to his floor. He wouldn't lie, being up there on the second floor by himself was a bit irritating since he felt so far from the rest of the team, but in the end he could've cared less as he was used to the loneliness. Entering the room, he immediately started taking off what clothing he had as he went over to his closet in order to change into his training gear consisting of camo cargo pants, a black t-shirt, and black combat boots. He quickly looked around to see if there was anything else of need, but quickly dismissed it before trotting out from his room and down the stairs, making his way toward the training yard. After a brief five minute jog, he linked up with Thatcher, who was patiently waiting for his arrival.

"Glad to see you have made it out," Thatcher stated.

A silent nod was the response he was given from Storm.

"Right then, today will just be simple exercises for today. Gustave already gave me the information yesterday, so I'll be exempting you from certain exercises and drills until your hand has healed. So, today will just be running exercises, some strength exercises, and reaction timing. I already had some of the people bring out your gear so you'll have them ready for later on today."

He gestured toward the duffel bags that laid next to his feet, ensuring that Storm understood. Silence emanated from Storm, and Thatcher took it as his understanding.

"Assuming you're ready, follow me this way then," Thatcher motioned.

The duo started making their way over to one of the more open areas of the base, where lined up against a wooden wall, were cutouts of enemies holding guns. Storm's interest piqued as he wondered what kind of drill this was about to be. Thatcher slightly smirked upon seeing the newcomer's look of curiosity.

"Right, first thing we'll be doing is a speed test. When out on the field, you're obviously going to be running into enemy fire and also crossing through enemy fire. This drill is designed to test your speed at how quick you can move past the cutouts while they're firing paintballs at you. In order to make this feel a bit more realistic, we're not giving you any protective gear because Lord knows that the paintballs themselves hurt like a motherfucker when they make contact with bare skin. So in short, just make it from start to finish whilst trying your best to not get hit. That clear?"

Storm nodded.

"Excellent. Stand by the white line over here and when I say go, you sprint your ass off."

Storm took his position at the line as Thatcher got a stopwatch ready. Storm couldn't help but keep glancing at the cutouts as he took his stance.

"Ready….GO!"

Like a gunshot, Storm immediately took off as the paint started to fly. All hell was breaking loose as he constantly kept ducking and weaving in eccentric patterns in order to dodge the cutouts three-fourths of the way complete, he felt one sting his shoulder and another one graze his back, nearly making him stumble and hit the dirt. He kept his composure though and duck his head down, before sliding himself across the finish line at the very end. A rather impressed Thatcher looked on as he looked at the time on the stopwatch.

"Impressive time Aiden. You've basically placed third for the best time on this drill. Only two people who sit above you are Eliza and Monika."

Storm picked himself up from the ground, looking down at his shirt. It was absolutely covered in colored paint from where he had been grazed or fully hit on. He could feel his shoulder stinging like hell but he shook it off as he lightly hobbled back over to Thatcher.

"Hmmm….what to do next….aha! I know what exactly to do. Follow me this way."

Storm trailed behind Thatcher to the next training area, still clutching at his shoulder from where he had been impacted hard. Thatcher looked back at him and took note of how much he was holding at it, but Storm kept himself quiet. He knew that in training and on the field, crying out from a simple injury was only a sign of weakness and that was something he didn't wish to show, especially in front of one of Rainbow's most well-respected leaders.

"You can rest if you want to y'know Aiden. You seem to be favoring that shoulder heavily."

"No."

Thatcher lightly chuckled at the one worded response from the tall American. Continuing to guide Storm, Thatcher pointed out the next area of practice. Two metal walls were connected to belts that looked like if turned on, would pull the walls back as far they could go. Storm already had a feeling as to what was gonna happen.

"Next up, a mix of speed and reaction. In this one, you'll be running back and forth between these two walls. You have to go from wall to wall and slap each one before running back to the other one and doing the same. The catch though is that the walls will gradually get farther and farther away from one another up until they can't no more so expect having to pump in a lot of energy on this one."

Storm looked the walls up and down and he assumed they each of them had to just be a little over three meters tall, but that wasn't the main focal point. He just had to worry about having enough gas in the tank to keep going back and forth until the end.

"Feel free to pick whichever wall you want to start from. When you're ready just give me the signal and I'll shout."

Storm really had no preference as he just walked to the nearest one. Pressing his heel up against the wall, he placed his hand on the wall as he leaned forward, ready as ever to start running. He looked over at Thatcher giving him a deep nod.

"Set…..GO!"

Like the last exercise, Storm immediately started sprinting hot off his heels. The moment he left the starting wall, he could already hear them starting to get further away. Making it to the opposite wall, he palmed the metal before pivoting right around and starting to dash back to the other. Several times, he kept sprinting back and forth and eventually he was covering the maximum distance between the two walls. Despite the fatigue he was starting to feel, he kept pushing himself forward in order to showcase his stamina, something Thatcher was impressed by as he watched Storm keep chugging along.

"How's Aiden's training going?" a feminine voice called from behind Thatcher.

Turning around, he was met by Six.

"His stats so far are impressive. He now holds the third fastest time for the paintball speed run and his stamina levels are unreal. He's already covered the maximum distance between the walls seven times now."

"Interesting…"

Six continued to watch on with Thatcher as Storm was now completing his eighth run on the maximum distance. There was a look of satisfaction in Six's eyes as she lightly smiled.

"You can cancel the rest of whatever you had planned for him this morning. Put him on to practice with the squad that's doing the night exercise tonight."

"Six, are you serious? It's only his second day an-"

When he turned around, Six was giving him a _very_ serious stare. Taking the notion, he simply nodded back.

"Right, I'll make sure to pen him in."

"Excellent. I expect to hear all about it in the morning then Mike."

She turned away and started walking back to the office building as Thatcher looked back over at Storm who was now heavily panting as he was halfway through his ninth run.

"Aiden, you can stop running now. Six just told me something regarding you that you'll want to hear," he called out.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Storm leaned forward, putting his hands on his knees as he sucked in each breath in an attempt to regain his breath from the vigorous run. Thatcher made his way over to him, handing him a canteen of water which Storm hastily took and started to drink from it, ignoring how some of it was overflowing from his lips and running down the lower part of his face and onto his chest.

"So here's the deal: You're basically done for training today by order of Six. She said she was quite impressed with how well you've done with these two drills so far and she wants you to be on tonight's night time team exercise," he bluntly stated.

Drawing the canteen away from his lips, he glanced up at Thatcher.

"With who?" Storm asked.

"I haven't received word as to who else is on the list for tonight, but it'll be four other people that you'll be working with. So be prepared," Thatcher replied.

Taking one last drink from the canteen, Storm handed it back to Thatcher before wiping his mouth with his forearm in order to rid of the excess water.

"Best you shower and also change into something more casual for the time being. Come night time though, I'm expecting you to be in uniform. You'll know why…" Thatcher said before starting to make his way back to the main building.

Storm left himself standing there, still panting from the vigorous running he had just done for the past forty-five minutes. He was expecting to be out here for at least a good two or three hours, but today was not the case. Dusting his paint covered shirt, he began to head back for the main building, leaving his gear that Thatcher had brought earlier behind where it was since he figured that it would still be out there by the time the team exercise came about. Walking through the main entrance, Storm was greeted by Jackal, who just happened to bump into him.

"Hey, amigo!" Jackal said surprised by the look of Storm, "Take it ol' Mike put you through the paintball gauntlet eh?"

Storm nodded as he proceeded to walk along, with Jackal deciding to tag along.

"So, how did the exercises go? You're actually back earlier than most would've thought."

"Cut short. Got assigned with the night squad."

"Que?! You mean they're having you participate in the night time event?" Jackal asked, still in shock.

"Six wanted me to participate," Storm bluntly replied.

"Woah…" was the only response that Jackal could let out.

"Look, Ryad, I got stuff to do. I don't have the time to talk today. I need to focus," Storm bluntly stated.

"Oh, of course, lo siento." **(Sorry)**

Breaking away from Jackal, Storm kept making his way back towards his room in order to clean himself up. He did have to admit though, he was happy that some people were starting to gradually warm up to him and talk more, but at the same time he felt confused as to whether or not that they were being sincere or just being nice. The thought stuck to the back of his mind as he entered his room, audibly slamming the door behind him.

* * *

 **Time: 12:25 P.M.**

Lunch was already happening in the mess hall, but some operators were relaxing in the rec room and were eating whatever food was available there compared to what was being served for today's grub. The still relatively new trio of Ying, Lesion, and Ela were relaxing on the couches watching television, while Mute and Twitch were sitting at one of the tables doing their own thing: Mute was typing away on his laptop while Twitch was fiddling with one of her drones, trying to diagnose any problems with it. Meanwhile, Kapkan was playing around on one of the old arcade machines that was in the far corner of the room and one could sense his quiet rage every time his character died. A few minutes passed, and Echo quietly made his way into the room decked in a black sweatshirt and jeans. It was always an interesting sight for Rainbow members to see him without his signature mask, but they eventually grew used to it on base. The tension in the air, however, immediately spiked as he awkwardly made eye contact with his ex, Ying.

"Masaru."

"Siu."

Those were the only words exchanged between the two former lovers, and most likely the only things they said to one another whenever they came into contact. Making his way around, he sat himself at the table with Mute and Twitch, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt as he exhaled a quiet sigh. Mute gave him a nod, but was too focused on what he was typing up and Twitch just gave a wave with the screwdriver in hand as she continued to toy with her drone. On the couch, Lesion took the toothpick out of his mouth, turning his attention to Ying.

"Nǐ hé tā yǒu shé me guānxì?" **(What is with you and him?)** Lesion questioned.

"Wèishéme zhè yǒu guānxì?" **(Why does it matter?)** Ying retorted, her attention still focused on the television.

Lesion shook his head, putting his toothpick back between his lips as he refocused on the television. Shortly after, Storm entered the room, his headphones on with his music being faintly audible to those around him. The silence became uncomfortable as everyone detected his presence. The trio on the couches glanced at him, and even Kapkan in the corner looked over in his direction before going back to his game. Storm ignored all the looks, and rather than sit by himself, he sat with the three at the table to their surprise, most notably Mute's, given what Storm had done to his squadmate yesterday. Echo looked slightly unimpressed with the newcomer as he squinted his eyes a bit at the bigger man, but went back to staring at the ground. The silence in the room was rather awkward for most, that is until Bandit, Blitz, and Jäger walked in noisily chatting about.

"There iz no way zat Bremen vill escape za relegation zone next year Elias. They're just like Hamburg, terrible," Bandit spat.

"And vat would you exactly know about zat Dominic? If Hertha Berlin iz zo much better, then why haven't ze made Champions League, eh?" Blitz retorted.

The two Germans looked like they were about to start throwing fists, but with Jäger being in the middle, he quickly positioned between them to the point where they couldn't cleanly throw punches without hitting him.

"Would you two shut up? Za season's already over, no need for this talk," Jäger stated.

"You don't even know a thing about soccer Marius. Why get involved in zis conversation?" Bandit asked.

"Because your talk iz going to drive me and everyone else in here nuts," Jäger bluntly replied.

Leaving the two, Jäger walked over to the couch Lesion was sitting, and hopped over the top of it, seating himself next to the Hong Kong native. Neither minded each other's company, since they sometimes had to deal with annoying squadmates almost all the time. Mute looked up from his work over at the two Germans still arguing about their respective teams, shaking his head at the commotion.

"Those two will never shut up will they?" Mute asked.

"Pas dans un million d'années," **(Not in a million years)** Twitch replied.

"Could easily drive them out with my Yokai…" Echo added.

Mute chuckled at the remark as he continued typing away at his laptop, For a moment he had somewhat forgotten that Storm was next to him when caught a glance of him, his headphones hung around his neck and playing around on his phone, his eyes focused on the small screen. He didn't mark it unusual to see someone of almost the same nature as himself doing something like that, but it was still rather surprising. While Bandit and Blitz were still in the heated debate about how well their teams would do next season, the JTF2 duo of Buck and Frost entered the room, sporting their signature winter hats. Frost made her way over to the couch Ela was sitting on, taking a seat next to her while Buck meandered his way to the table, sitting himself next to Storm. The room had remained rather quiet, despite the amount of people in the room, but the only ones really talking were Blitz and Bandit, something some people were slowly getting irritated with. Storm had finished with whatever game he had on his phone, placing it facedown on the space in front of him. Buck looked around at each person at the table and noted that Echo was just about nodding off in his seat while Twitch was visibly getting annoyed with whatever problem she had with her Shock Drone.

"J'abandonne…" **(I give up)** Twitch groaned as she placed the screwdriver and drone on the table.

She looked over at Echo, shaking him awake.

"Hey, Masaru, think you can fix this?" she asked, pushing the items towards him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I can try…" he replied, taking the screwdriver in hand.

Ying glanced over at the group as Echo was messing about with the drone while Twitch overlooked his attempt. There also seemed to be a bit of jealousy on her face, something that Storm noticed since he was facing her as their gazes met, causing Ying to abruptly turn back around and refocus on the television.

"Weird…" Storm muttered.

Buck gave him a questioning look, but shrugged it off as he watched the television himself from afar. Eventually, Mute finished typing what he had and shut his laptop, letting out a relaxed sigh. He did a once over with everyone at the table: Echo was still toying with Twitch's drone, Buck was focused on watching the television, and Storm just had a blank look on his face as if staring at something.

"Aiden, how'd the training with Mike go this morning?"

"Hm?"

"The training. Mike told me about it since I was curious as to why he was awake so early."

"Oh, that. It went fine. Apparently I'm the third fastest in the paintball gauntlet."

"Impressive. Just don't tell Eliza or Monika that otherwise they're gonna be begging to race you."

"Like I would care about some record."

Mute couldn't agree more with him on that statement. He still remembered the one week period of time where Ash was constantly racing other operatives up and down the corridors of the base. Eventually Blitz put an end to that when he blinded her with his Flash Shield several times in order to shut her up.

"So, Aiden, you got any other plans for tonight? Julien and I don't have anything going on and we were thinking of just going around town to see if there's anything of interest to do."

"I got the night team exercise to do later."

That statement drew the attention of everyone in the room, including Kapkan, who started making his way over after hearing those words. Looking up from his spot, Storm looked around at everyone with a slightly confused look.

"What?"

"What do you mean what?" Kapkan hissed.

Storm looked over his shoulder at the Russian who was now standing over him.

"Who even gave you the right to be in something that took others weeks to do?" Kapkan spat.

"Six did."

The response made the Spetsnaz go silent. There was no way to counter-argue that because if Six granted him the privilege of being on for tonight's team exercise, then clearly she saw something in him. Meanwhile, Echo managed to wrench the screwdriver free from the drone as he handed it back to Twitch.

"One wire was simply disconnected, even though it looked connected at first glance. It's fixed now though," Echo stated.

"Aw, thanks Masa," Twitch replied.

The words made Ying feel slightly uncomfortable as she began to reminisce the past she had with Echo. Despite thinking no one was really noticing her fidgeting, Storm was the one keeping a close eye on her while no one else was.

" _She is an odd woman,"_ he thought, " _What the hell has her so riled up?"_

Curious, he tapped Mute on the arm.

"Huh? What's up Aiden?"

"Siu there, I've caught her looking back over here at least twice now, most notably at Masaru, and it just feels weird noticing it," Storm whispered.

"Oh…..that," Mute responded.

He looked over at Echo who was still tentatively listening to Twitch and her issues with her drones before looking back at Storm.

"I'll tell you a little later. All I can say is that those two had a 'thing' sometime back if you catch my drift."

"Gotcha."

Storm leaned back in his chair as both him and Mute were now focused on the television. The only things running through Storm's mind at the moment were tonight's team exercise and the tension that floated around Echo and Ying. He already had a feeling what it was that Mute was gonna tell him once there was more privacy for discussion…

* * *

 **Time: 3:45 P.M.**

Storm was casually lounging about in his room. For the first time on base, he was using his PC setup that he had. Three monitors sat before him as he was going about browsing YouTube, checking e-mails, and playing music all at once. Using technology of this caliber made him realize just how far away he felt at times from home because he had a setup similar back home in America when he was only twenty-four. Reminiscing on those times felt like a blur, since the most recent times in his life had been nothing more than combat on the battlefield, guns firing, cries of pain, and dying breaths. It had been chaos and carnage. Snapping back to reality, he looked over at the monitor to his right, realizing he had his personal Twitter profile pulled up and a list of conversations he had from past times. There were so many that dated to at max a few years time because of how out of contact he had been during his PMC career. There were old friends that he had met when he was still a junior in high school and also others he had met through the Web and thanks to the site of Twitch. One of the convos that he came across, was one involving his cousin, Rachel. It had been four years since he last had contact with her and the last time he spoke to her in any form was right before a mission he had in the mountains of Tajikistan, that resulted in him and three others being captured when they tried attacking a network of caves that was used as a base for a local terrorist group. He was thankful to be alive in the end, but at the cost of one of his squadmates that ultimately blew up the base by rigging multiple bombs together in order to generate a massive explosion. The magnitude was so terrific that it even registered as a 3.0 on the Richter scale in local news, but thankfully names were not exploited.

Thinking back to where he was, he subconsciously started typing out a message to Rachel. Without even second guessing himself, he hit the send button. The first time he had done something like so in years. Ultimately, he wasn't sure if he was going to get a response, and if he did, what would the reaction be? His thought process was quickly interrupted with a knock at his door.

"It's open," he shouted.

Entering the room was Mute, the man who was about as quiet as Storm and Echo. Storm pointed out to the open chair that Thermite had put back from the day before, which Mute graciously took and sat in as the two were face to face with one another.

"So, I take it you're here to tell me about Echo and Ying?"

"Why else would I be here Aiden?"

"Fair point."

He paused the music and minimized all the other open tabs he had before turning his attention back to Mute.

"So, what's the backstory?"

"It's a bit of a long one, and I'm amazed I even know this thanks to Masaru for being open about it one day, but here it is: Sometime back in the early 2010s, Masa was doing some overseas work in China, I think he was working on another prototype of his Yokai drone or finding some way to improve it. Either way, he eventually got called into Hong Kong for some patrol stuff. It was the usual schtick though, just walk around and make sure nothing bad or evil is brewing within these areas blah blah blah."

"I'm assuming he met Siu at some point during one of these…."

"Getting there. After about five months or so of patrolling about, he gets notified during one patrol in….I want to say it was May or somewhere close to it, that there's been a car crash. Two cars collided head on."

"And Siu was in one of them…"

"Mhmm. However, the bodies were already grievously harmed to the point that the faces almost didn't seem recognizable because of the blood that was all over the scene. They manage to save everyone from the wreckage, load them up into ambulances, and get them to a hospital. Unfortunately, one person in the other car passed from complications, but everyone else survived. A year, year and a half goes by and Masa ends up encountering Siu again, still in Hong Kong. There was some security operation that they were part of...Black Jack was the name of it. Had to protect Japan's representative at this meet: the World Trade Organization's Ministerial Conference. After that was over... "

"They started dating…"

"More or less. However, there was already difficulty from the start since about three months in, Masa got called back to Japan meaning he had to leave Siu behind. They managed it for some time, doing occasional visits every few weeks or so with Masa going to Hong Kong or Siu going to Japan. Either way, it eventually fell apart when Masa didn't come back from one mission in the estimated time and Siu hadn't heard from him at all that he had been held back a few days where he was. He didn't tell me where the mission was, but I know that this ultimately led to the downfall of their relationship."

"And I take it Siu was the one who decided to tell they should break off?"

Mute nodded silently.

"It was enough to guess that both were grief stricken that it had to end in such a way between them, but unfortunately that's how life works it gears. Sometimes work takes priority over your love life. With the current situation however, it's easy to tell that whatever chemistry those two had, is now gone."

Storm rested his chin on his fist as he thought about everything that Mute had just told him. Even he admitted to himself that it sucked that a relationship had to end like that, but Mute was right. That's just how life treats you sometimes.

"Perhaps there is a way….."

"A way for what Aiden?"

Storm waved his hand across his chest.

"Ignore my sayings, just thinking aloud."

Mute blankly stared at him, but he felt as if he detected what Storm was thinking.

"Don't tell me you're thinking of trying to get those two back together now…"

Storm shrugged.

"Listen Mark, you may not have noticed it in the rec room today, but Siu was seeming kind of…'off'"

"What do you mean?"

Storm crossed his left leg over his right as he reclined back in his chair.

"When Emma was struggling with her drone and she asked Masaru for help, I caught Siu looking over at us, almost as if out of jealousy. She was also acting weird because when Emma was thanking Masa for his help, I could easily see her fidgeting almost as if out of uneasiness."

This finding certainly surprised Mute, but he wasn't shocked since he was busy with other work on his laptop at the time, but he carefully processed everything as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"So...essentially Siu still has some potential feelings for Masa…"

"I guess."

"Something worth monitoring."

"That's a bit stalkerish Mark."

"Not if it's discreet."

Storm facepalmed.

"You do you, I'll do me Mark."

Mute looked up at the time, he was a bit surprised that it was already slightly past four and immediately stood up from his seat.

"Shoot the time. I gotta get going. Julien said he wanted to get an early start on the town in order to avoid the rush in the city. I'll catch you later Aiden, and good luck with tonight."

Mute hurriedly made his way for the door, with Aiden giving him a two finger salute before turning back around to his monitors. He started playing his music again as he went about browsing the web on his middle monitor. Out of the corner of his eye, he could've sworn he caught a glimpse of his messages on his third monitor…..there were those three precarious dots. His attention immediately focused onto the third monitor.

" _She's actually responding,"_ was his only thought that raced through his head as he watched the message suddenly come to life before him.

" _Aiden?! You're still kicking?"_

" _That I am."_

A few silent moments passed before the next message loaded into the conversation.

" _I thought you were dead four years ago…"_

" _I thought I was too….but a squadmate saved my life in exchange for his. I live with the guilt, but also am thankful for his sacrifice."_

" _Where have you been all this time then?"_

" _More PMC work. They wanted my name kept out of any limelight and I rolled with it. You've heard of Team Rainbow by the way, right?"_

" _Yeah, they're that counter-terrorist organization of all those elite soldiers that successfully dealt with the Bartlett Crisis."_

" _Yeah, those guys. I'm officially one of them since yesterday."_

" _What?! How?"_

" _The director recruited me. I didn't complain."_

" _You'll have to show me around sometime."_

" _That's if they let me."_

" _Please?"_

" _I don't know Sis."_

" _Aw look, you remember the nickname you gave me."_

" _Well, you were the only family member I interacted with a lot during my late high school years. You were, and still basically are, a sister to me, so yeah."_

" _I'm just glad you're safe Aiden."_

" _I know...believe me, I know Rachel."_

" _At least visit sometime this year….please?"_

" _I'll make time when I can. Right now, I gotta go. Got some things at base to take care of for tonight."_

" _Okay...just don't disappear on me again! Love you Aiden."_

" _I love you too Rachel."_

With that last message, he logged out of the site and closed the tab, exhaling a relaxed sigh. He was, for once, happy that he made some reconnection with someone from his past. It was a first step to regaining trust and also gaining trust of certain people in his life.

* * *

 **Time: 7:50 P.M.**

By this point, the sun had dipped below the horizon as Storm was putting on the rest of his combat gear. It had been the first time in about three weeks since he wore something related to the battlefield, and he was somewhat excited to be wearing the suit again. Lacing up his boots, he started to quietly make his way out of his room and down the stairs into the first floor corridor. Everyone else was either getting a late night workout in or relaxing in the rec room until lights out, but Storm knew he'd be well busy until midnight at the latest. Stepping outside the building, he could feel the cool, crisp April breeze blow against him. It sent small shivers through his body, but he was used to this kind of weather given how he spent most of his life growing up in the New England part of the States. The base was still pretty lit up, needless to say that the lighting was needed for the night's team exercise, and if he was being honest, it looked much more attractive with the night sky high above the base. Continuing his stroll, he came across his bags that Thatcher had brought out earlier, still untouched. Opening them up, he took note of his two rifles that he had brought along with him: his AR-33 and 556xi, both of which he had picked up as gifts from his higher ups for his work in the field. Both rifles were good from just about any range and he preferred either one on any given day. As for his sidearms, he brought along his P9 and USP40, both which were rewards given to him after missions he did overseas in Europe and they became prized possessions in his arsenal. He really had no preference to which he used, but accuracy was what he concerned himself with most, and decidingly he holstered the P9 while taking hold of his AR-33. He wasn't sure how much longer everyone else would be, so he sat himself on a nearby stack of crates, leaning his rifle up against the side. One other thought that crossed his mind was how well would he be able to wield a rifle? Sure, he had carried it around plenty of times, but it was the fact of firing it that threw him off balance because it had been _at least_ a solid month since he last fired a gun for any particular reason and he figured that because of that huge gap, then his trigger finger might as well be rusty.

"First one as always Aiden."

Storm looked over his shoulder at who called him out. It was Thatcher.

"Not surprised that you've already shown up. The others will be here shortly once they grab their gear."

Storm silently nodded as he took up his rifle and laid it across his lap. There was so much from his previous experiences that he would have to recall as he would soon be doing squad exercises once more and he knew how grueling the task could be if the performance was not up to par. Breathing deep, he exhaled out as a means to try and calm his nerves, but he still felt the tension in his shoulders. More boots on the ground echoed nearby as they clicked off the packed earth, bringing Storm back to a sense of reality. Standing up with his rifle in hand, he turned to where the other operatives were coming from. In the front, was Ash, one of the most experienced members that Rainbow had and she was quite known for her nature to rush the enemy, catching them off guard. Behind her was the toughest looking member of the GIGN squad, Montagne. On his back he carried his signature shield, something that always made it tough for enemies to surpass and halt an advance. Next to him was Blackbeard, known for his rifle shield which often won him gun fights fought from tight angles. Last of the pack was Ying, which surprised Storm. Her most known gadget was her Candela flashes, which served as an assistant to surprise enemies with hit and run tactics.

"Aiden, meet your squad for the evening. First off, we got Eliza Cohen, otherwise known as Ash. Then we got Gilles Toure, or Montagne. Craig Jensen, or Blackbeard. Lastly, this is Siu Mei Lin, or Ying."

Storm gave them a collective nod of the head as Thatcher finished their introductions.

"Wait, Mike, ain't this the new kid?" Blackbeard asked

"Yes Craig, this is Aiden Mitchell. A PMC operative," Thatcher replied

A look of excitement lit up on Blackbeard's face.

"So you're the guy who knocked some sense into Seamus! Good on you man!" Blackbeard exclaimed, giving Aiden two thumbs up.

"It was quite a sight to see," Montagne added, nodding his head.

"Would you two knock it off?" Thatcher stated, visibly irritated. "Anyways, tonight's exercise just involves the most basic task of securing a biohazard container. Find the room that it's in, tag it, move in, and secure it. Any other questions?"

There was a collective shake of the heads from all five.

"Excellent. I'll give you guys five minutes to plan a course of action and get everything set. Once that time is up, we'll begin."

Leaving the group to themselves, the four veteran members already started conversing on what to do. While that was going on, Storm took the time to start putting on his gadget, fittingly nicknamed the Hand of Zeus. It was something that a research team in Norway had designed specifically for him as a quick means to swap between weapons if he didn't have the time to reload or switch to his pistol. It was essentially like a finger gun, but instead it was something that could actually _kill_. He had also used it in previous times as a means to expose enemies that were creeping near walls by placing the glove on the wall, reinforced or not, to set an electric field on the wall and cause harm to those on the other side. It was often able to cover three sections of wall, but lately he found it situationally successful and with another private team during a vacation time in Switzerland, he made it possible where he could blow open a decent sized hole in any kind of wall when he charged up enough electricity. That was something he was determined to show to the team. Strapping the glove around his hand, he linked it up to the power pack he had for it, and immediately the lightning bolt on the top of the glove glowed blue as it came to life. The glow somewhat drew the attention of Ash and Ying, but for Blackbeard and Montagne, they were side tracked with the conversation regarding what Storm had done to Sledge the day before and laughed at it the whole entire time. Eventually Thatcher came back around, a serious look in his eyes.

"Alright team, tonight's exercise begins now. Drone the building, find the container, tag it, and secure it by any means possible. You have thirty minutes to do so. Go!"

Immediately all five of them started rushing the building that was designated for them, with the training dummies dressed as fake White Masks were watching entry points and doorways. Montagne lead the charge with his shield fully extended in front of him, while Blackbeard was peaking over his shoulders, mowing down whatever stood in their way while Ying flanked them and was blowing apart whatever stood in front of her with her shotgun blasts. Ash and Storm were providing cover fire from distance with their assault rifles. Reaching the main entrance, Blackbeard signaled for the two to start advancing, and with haste, they arrived in no time.

"Blackbeard, Ying, start droning out the site. Montagne, break in and start checking rooms. Storm, you're with me to rappel up to the top floor," Ash ordered.

Everyone went about their tasks as Blackbeard and Ying drop their drones down and started piloting through the compound as Montagne began his sweep of the first floor. Meanwhile, Ash and Storm started scaling the side of the building.

"Not in basement," Ying stated.

"First floor is clear," Montagne radioed.

"Second floor is clean," Blackbeard added.

"Which means it's on the top floor. Start droning out the layout of it guys, Storm, I need you to cover me for this," Ash commanded.

Nodding along, he kept following her up the building until they reached a landing that sat outside two windows and a large wall. Looking at the wooden wall first glance, one could easily tell it was reinforced, as the metal anchors sat outside the wall.

"Damn. Alright, time for these puppies to get used," Ash stated, taking one knee as she pulled out her breaching round launcher.

Firing off one, it quickly burrowed into the barricaded window on the left, and exploded into the pieces, leaving the window wide open for the taking. She did the same to the other window, giving them two access points to enter.

"Feel free to take your pick on which entry point to go through," Ash stated.

"I choose number three…" Aiden muttered as he stood in front of the reinforced wall and extended his hand out to it, his palm facing the wall.

A loud crackling noise was heard as he focused the electrical energy into his palm. Once satisfied with the amount that had accumulated, he launched it at the wall. The crackling ball of lightning contacted the metal frame, and a large explosion enveloped most of the wall, just about shaking the building.

"The hell was that noise?" Montagne questioned.

"Aiden just did a thing…" Ash replied.

The smoke quickly cleared, and what was a majority of reinforced wall, now remained a good sized hole, one that someone could easily climb through to get inside. Shaking his wrist, Storm brought his rifle back up into both hands as he slowly approached the opening.

"You coming with?" Storm asked.

"Yeah, yeah…" Ash responded, at a loss for words.

The two hopped the small hurdle of steel that remained and immediately started scanning the halls for any signs of enemy activity.

"Hallway is clear."

"Same thing for this room."

Coming up from the stairs before, Montagne still had his shield raised before him as Blackbeard closely followed, with Ying not too far behind either. Montagne kept darting his eyes back and forth between the door openings that lay before them while Blackbeard watched over Monty's right shoulder and Ying kept an eye over his left.

"Container's located," Blackbeard noted.

"Move in on it then," Ash ordered.

Monty backed up a few paces in order to let Ying and Blackbeard enter first, followed by Ash entering from the far doorway. Storm remained outside the room, keeping an eye for any further signs of activity while Montagne stood inside the doorway with his shield fully extended, so as to halt any rushing advances.

"Congrats on finding the container," Thatcher radioed in, "Just hold it until extraction shows up."

This was perhaps the most difficult part of the training: having to wait it out. Storm didn't know how long it would be, but judging from the frustrated sighs coming from Ash and Montagne, he could guess it was gonna be more than a solid fifteen minutes. Shuffling his way in, Storm pressed himself up against the near wall, holding the angle where he could look out into the hallway, while also keeping an eye on the blast in the wall he made just minutes prior.

"Aiden, you can relax. If anything, we're just gonna be sitting around in here for the next hour or so. Only time we have to act ready is when certain noises go off, " Ash stated.

He didn't listen. His muscles became tense as he continued to peer out into the hall. What the others didn't see, was the serious, somewhat nervous look on his face. Through his eyes, he saw himself standing at the doorway of a safe room, others in there crying out in pain. He was reliving a past moment of his career, one that he knew had a terrible fate. Bullets flew in through the door, missing everyone else in the room and he immediately peeled around the corner, just about demolishing the terrorist in front of him with a barrage of bullets to the torso. Suddenly, he felt someone wrap themselves around him, almost in a choke hold. One of the enemies had somehow slipped behind him and now he was in a fight for his life. Immediately, he swung him into the wall next to him, the terrorist letting out a grunt of pain, but he held on. Reaching for his holster, Storm quickly drew his pistol out and pressed the barrel against the the man's torso, firing off multiple bullets into the same spot. The man's grip weakened with each shot, and eventually he let go. He felt more and more ravenous with each kill, but something caught his attention that almost seemed to fly into the room in slow motion. A frag grenade. He immediately made the dive for it, but only managed to tip it away somewhere else, before he found himself crashing into one of the other guards he was with, sending them both onto the ground. No explosion came afterwards, and he was confused as to why the rest hadn't played itself out.

"Aiden!"

The voice belonging to Blackbeard called out to him and he immediately lifted his head from the ground, looking around in all directions, still with the same ravenous look in his eyes before eventually locking onto Blackbeard.

"Relax man. I don't know what just happened but something tells me you had an episode of sorts. You were flailing about and your gun went flying out of your hands," Blackbeard stated, pointing out to the AR-33 that lay by his feet.

"Was quite the show," Montagne chuckled as he went back to covering the doorway.

"PTSD…" was the only thing Ying muttered, before she went back to viewing her drone cam.

Storm still looked around in confusion, wondering what he had just done. Meanwhile, Blackbeard was trying to hold his laughter in.

"Uh, Aiden, you might want to get up off the ground. You got something, or should I say someone, underneath you…" Blackbeard stated, before letting his laughter loose.

"Huh?"

He looked down below him. He was practically straddling Ash, with her arms pinned above her head to the ground by him holding her at the wrists. There was clearly a look of embarrassment and irritation behind her sunglasses which was something Storm could easily see, before hastily pushing himself up off the ground, only to almost fall flat on his ass as he stood back up. Ash quickly stood up herself, dusting her armor vest off. Both were clearly embarrassed as their faces were burning bright red.

"Sorry….about that."

"It's fine…"

It was definitely an awkward situation for Storm, since he rarely had interaction with women, and also to make a first impression like that, was not impressive at all. He may as well have practically humiliated Ash before the other three. Blackbeard was still laughing up a storm, making it hard for Montagne to keep it together as he started laughing himself.

"You tell Jack or Miles any of this Jensen, and I'll be shaving your beard," Ash glared.

"Hey, chill Eliza. It's just a joke," Blackbeard cooly replied.

She huffed as Blackbeard went to go watch the other room. Sitting in the corner opposite Storm, she took off her cap and began to undo her braided ponytail. Eventually, she undid the last braid, letting her hair naturally flow behind her as she ruffled it about. Storm remained quiet in his corner, staring down the ground with his AR clutched tightly in his hands. The remaining time seemed to pass ever so slowly until Thatcher finally radioed them.

"Extraction has arrived, you can start leaving the building."

Taking the notion, the five of them started vaulting through the blast hole made by Storm before rappelling their way down back to ground level. Thatcher stood by the entrance, as they made their way away from the building.

"Congrats on a successful training session guys. Aiden, looks like you managed well," Thatcher noted.

Storm gave him the usual nod in response as he kept moving forward. Ash was still a bit flustered from earlier as her face was still tinted a bit red. Blackbeard and Monty were trying their hardest to contain their laughter, with Ying rolling her eyes at the two before making her way back to the main building. At the entrance, Storm was strolling at a normal pace and almost didn't happen to notice Ying speed past him until she was just a few feet in front of him. The two were ultimately heading in the same direction since Ying's room was located at the far end of the corridor, and Storm had decided to take the scenic route and go up the north stairwell. As Ying got closer to her room, Storm started to walk past her, almost with determination in every step.

"You'll have to face him someday," Storm blankly stated.

Ying froze in her tracks as she watched the American walk by and up the stairs. She felt herself grow tense at the words, and almost anger as she entered her room.

" _The hell does he know?"_ she thought.

Angrily, she slammed the door behind her. Leaning up against the door, she slid down to a seated position, burrowing her face into her knees as she hugged her legs close. It was an unbearable memory to remember from time's past, but she kept her composure together as she could feel her eyes starting to well up. All she could think of now were the words Storm had left her with…

* * *

Climbing up the stairs, multiple thoughts raced through Storm's head. It was another day of madness here on base, and it was an unexpected start to his time with Team Rainbow. It wasn't something he had planned for, but things had flowed the way they had.

" _Many things to deal with….but for how long?"_ he thought.

He didn't hold the answer to his own question because he knew that time would eventually be the one to answer it. Approaching his room, he couldn't help but stand outside of it a bit longer, thinking back to tonight's events. His PTSD episode, him being in such close contact with Ash, and the silence that followed. Shaking his head, he pushed the door open and gently closed it shut. The day's work was done, but what did the rest of the week hold in store for him?


	5. Chapter 5: A Proper Welcome

**Author's Note: It's finally here. This one took me quite some time to think on because I was trying to figure out on how to proceed with it and what direction I wanted to take it. Some, we'll say "things" kind of seem rushed in the terms that I was trying to make them work, but it just flowed out this way in the chapter. Aside from that, expect chapters including missions to start taking place within the next chapter or two, so there will now be a mix of events rather than just constant development of characters.** **Expect Chapter 6 to come out sometime during the week. I'll most likely start working on it tomorrow, and I'll have plenty of time to work on it this week so it could potentially be up by...I want to say Wednesday or Thursday. Don't hold me to that, but just expect that as the earliest day.**

 **Anyways, that's enough rambling for now :P Until then, enjoy reading Chapter 5 guys and I appreciate all who have read the story so far :D**

* * *

 _May 5, 2018_

 **Time: 11:30 A.M.**

The entire week had already blown by, and before anyone knew it, Saturday morning had arrived. It had been a rather interesting first week for Storm, considering what he went through during his first two days, but everything else seemed to flow the way it should've and the rest of the week was problem free with training, usually with Ash as his squad leader. Despite the awkwardness between the two, the times they trained together had let that fizzed out to the point they were comfortable in one another's company. Often times, he was either keeping to himself in his room, listening to his music, and messing about on his PC with whatever games he had or relaxing in the recreational room, holding small talk with some of the other team members, but he mainly hung around with Buck and Mute, and occasionally Echo since he came in from time to time. Most of what they did often involved just watching whatever was on television whenever there was something good, or they messed about on the arcade games that were available as well. A few times they even played pool, but they often kept that as a last resort if the former two didn't satisfy their boredom. Regardless, today was another ordinary day in the rec room for the four, but this time they were taking their pool game somewhat seriously, with the usual miscellaneous chatter among them.

"I'm surprised Seamus hasn't been seen as much this past week," Buck noted, "A bit unusual if you ask me."

"Well, Aiden did put him in his place Sebastien. Not to mention that Mike even talked him down after the whole incident, so he's been on the down low as of late," Mute replied.

Storm was lining up his shot, his cue carefully aimed on the cue ball as he aimed for the solid red ball. Buck intently watched on, since they were teamed up, while Mute and Echo casually looked on from the side. Boots clicking against the hard floor in the hallway garnered the quartet's attention as they all simultaneously turned their heads toward the doorway as Ash strolled in, her hair over her shoulder in its usual braided ponytail. Storm could feel his face start to burn red as he remembered what happened Sunday night during the team exercise. Buck was quick to notice the sudden color change.

"Aiden, you good mate?"

"Huh? Yeah, yeah….I'm fine," he replied, lining his shot up again.

Taking careful aim, he stabbed the pool cue forward, driving the ball up against the bright red ball, sending it into the far pocket for an easy sink.

"Calm and collected Aiden," Mute noted, nodding.

Buck was the next one to take his shot and he started lining his shot up as well. In the process of it, Fuze and Tachanka walked into the room, groaning about.

"My head hurts so fucking bad right now…" Fuze drearily said.

"Your fault for buying that vodka. I didn't know they made shit that strong…" Tachanka mumbled, almost stumbling into the ground.

"Take it another drinking contest happened between you two?" Mute asked.

"You're damn right Mark," Fuze chuckled, but immediately went back to clutching at his head as the pain was still radiating from his hangover.

Groggily, Tachanka ended up walking into one of the couches, flipping over it and landed fully stretched on it. He rubbed at his temples as he laid on the couch, still complaining about the pain.

"I'll probably be napping here if anyone needs me…" Tachanka stated, his voice trailing as he almost passed out in an instant.

Fuze sat himself at the table that was nearby, resting his head in his hands as he continued to quietly groan out in pain. Meanwhile, the billiard group of four were quietly laughing to themselves as they continued on with their game. Eventually, it came down to Mute and Echo having two of their striped pool balls still left on the table while Buck and Storm only needed to sink the eight ball to win. Echo managed to line up what seemed like an easy shot, but the ball instead caught the corner of the pocket, turning over the chance to Buck and Storm as he let out a defeated sigh.

"Sonuvabitch…" he muttered.

"You want to take it Aiden, or have me do it?" Buck questioned.

"I'll do it," Storm replied.

Making room for the big guy, Buck watched on contently as Storm started lining up his shot. It was more difficult than what it looked. The eight ball was lined up against a wall on the far side, which reduced the amount of angles that he could approach it from. Peering over at what pockets could be the winning ones, he noted the angle to get to one, but the angle that he'd have to hit the ball at would have to be extremely precise and accurate.

"Perhaps…" he muttered, as he drew back the cue.

Shooting it forward, the cue ball was driven straight at the eight. With an amazing amount of luck, he watched it catch the angle that was needed and the eight speedily rolled toward his intended target and sunk into the pocket, winning the game for him and Buck.

"Magnifique," **(Magnificent)** Buck stated.

"Impressive shot Aiden," Mute added.

Storm nodded to himself, impressed with the trick shot he managed to pull. Setting his cue down, he started to roll his shoulder about while the others went about stretching themselves.

"That shit really makes you stiff after a while," Storm noted.

"I can agree with that," Echo added.

"Same here," Buck chimed.

As the four went about putting the equipment away, Thatcher walked in, followed by Thermite close behind him.

"Team," Thatcher stated.

"Sir," was the reply everyone gave, including the half-asleep Fuze, but Tachanka was already knocked out on the couch snoozing away his hangover.

"With it being Saturday, and also having Aiden completing his first full week here at Hereford, Six has granted us the weekend off and tonight we're doing a night on the town. You lads, and lass, down for that trip?"

The group of four simultaneously nodded, Fuze gave a reluctant thumbs up while Ash also nodded in response. After a moment, Thatcher took note of the fast asleep Tachanka on the couch. He turned his attention toward Fuze.

"Shuhrat, make sure you wake Alex up at some point and tell him about this. Also as a note, the entirety of Team Rainbow will most likely being going out, so the base will be rather empty," Thatcher added.

"Who's gonna watch over base then?" Mute questioned.

"The younger recruits and also other security guards that we have to offer. They'll keep the place on lockdown while we're out on the town. Don't worry about it too much Mark. They're well trained, they'll keep everything safe," Thatcher replied.

"Been awhile since we all left base to go somewhere that wasn't a mission of sorts," Buck noted, "Can't even remember what it was in all honesty…"

"Pretty sure it was Jordan's birthday, Sebastien. That was roughly about a month and half ago," Ash peeped.

"Eh, yeah, you're probably right Eliza."

Thatcher cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him.

"If there aren't any questions, I'll be heading back then. Jordan, you mind sharing this with the other members?"

"Right away Mike," Thermite replied.

The duo made their way out of the rec room, leaving the seven members to themselves once again. Fuze's head dropped onto the table, as he finally gave into the fatigue and immediately started to snooze and Tachanka looked like he wasn't moving anytime soon as he started to snore.

"Think they'll wake up on their own time?" Buck asked.

"Yeah…" Storm replied.

Storm looked back and forth at the two Spetsnaz soldiers as the other three made their way out of the rec room. It was a bit surprising to see two top notch elite soldiers be in such a way, but at the same, he could understand because everyone needed to let loose every now and then when there wasn't work to be done. He glanced around the floor just to make sure that the place looked clean and presentable. Unbeknownst to him, Ash was watching his every move as she was leaned up against the table that Fuze was sleeping on. Seemingly satisfied with everything, he quickly patted himself down to make sure he had what he brought with him before turning to leave. As he drew close to the exit, he felt someone grip his arm, almost in a pull motion. Turning, he was surprised to be met by Ash, so close to him.

"Something wrong Eliza?"

"Yes, and it's you."

He was somewhat stunned by the response, because he couldn't gauge it as an insult or a concern especially with words like that coming from someone such as Ash.

"What do you mean that 'I'm a wrong'?"

"You know what I'm referring to Aiden…"

"What are you on ab-oh…."

Storm quickly caught onto to what she meant as he remembered what happened Sunday night. The PTSD episode he had when they were on the practice objective. He could still remember it clear as day: gunning down an enemy, escaping death by shooting his way out of a chokehold, and him unfortunately being able to prevent the frag from reaching the ones he was protecting. It wasn't until that Blackbeard wasn't calling out to him that he realized that what he went through wasn't real. It made him feel sick upon the realization, but he was more embarrassed at what really happened. Him flailing about like a madman before everyone, and then ultimately tackling Ash to the ground and pinning her down. The recollection made his face feel hot, not just because of the embarrassment, but also because of how he was basically overpowering a woman which just didn't sound right at all. Shaking his head, he stared down at the ground.

"How long has this been happening Aiden?"

"Huh?"

"The PTSD episodes. How long have they been occurring?"

"Uhm…..like…...every once in awhile. It isn't like severe, but it's mild enough to sometimes give me _wicked_ _bad_ moments. I'm amazed I'm still able to function the way I can."

"Have you talked to Gustave about it?"

"No. Not yet at least."

"Just do me favor and talk to him when possible...please."

He suddenly felt his palm pulse as Ash squeezed his hand with hers.

"You'd be surprised as to how much your health means to Rainbow, Aiden."

With that statement, Ash made her way out of the room, leaving Storm by himself in the rec room with the Spetsnaz duo. He was in shock about the entire conversation, but also the contact that was made between the two. He could still the remanent feel of her hand on his, and it was something that puzzled him as he could also feel it pulse throughout.

" _This just feels…..off,"_ he thought.

Looking back and forth at Fuze and Tachanka, he let out a small chuckle to himself as he turned to leave again.

"Being seeing you gentlemen later this evening."

With that, he departed the rec room as the pair continued to sleep off their hangovers in relative peace.

* * *

 **Time: 4:05 P.M.**

Doc was going about his usual routine in his office, cleaning his tools, replenishing any stock that was running low, and making sure that all medical reports and records were up-to-date. Sitting down at his desk, he took out his pen and was overlooking a document that listed what he had on hand and also listed what he needed in the future. His eyes constantly scanned the paper in order to make sure that he had every detail right because one measly mistake could prove costly, especially in a field of his work. His thought process was disrupted however as a few audible knocks were heard at his door.

"Eh, entrez," **(Come in)** Doc called out.

The door clicked open, and Doc turned to see who had come to him at such a late time in the afternoon. He was relatively surprised that it was Storm to be at his door, as he would've expected one of the hungover Spetsnaz folk to be coming in at this hour.

"Ah, Monsieur Aiden. Welcome. What can I help you with today? How's your hand healing by the way?"

Storm extended the once injured hand out to Doc for him to examine. The laceration that was once bloody red, had now turned into a healing scar that was just about clearing up in its late stages. Doc nodded approvingly, letting Storm withdraw his hand back to his side.

"Well, your hand seems to be healing nicely. So, what's the reason you're here for?"

"Something happened on Sunday that I want to discuss. Not only for my sake, but for someone else's sake as well."

The statement surprised Doc as his eyes widened a bit, but he understood the situation and motioned for Storm to sit in the nearby chair. Taking out a notepad of sorts, he sat himself across from Storm, pen and paper at the ready.

"What is that you wish to discuss?"

"I'm not sure if my previous employers put this in for you, but I also have a slight case of PTSD…"

It had only been the first sentence, and Doc couldn't find himself to put the pen to the paper as Storm's notification stunned him. He looked back up at the American before turning back down to the paper and writing those four letters at the top of the page, underlining it multiple times.

"Define 'slight case' for me in this instance, Aiden."

"Like, I have sporadic episodes of seeing myself in something from years past during my time out on the field. It could be anything ranging from running and seeing myself as charging into battle with a rifle when I don't have one, or acting like I'm supposed to be protecting the injured while there's gunfire close by. I don't really know how to fully explain it since it's so occasional for me."

"I see…" Doc muttered as he continued to write down all that he was absorbing, "So tell me, what happened during this episode?"

"Well, everything before me just seemed to meld back to a time where I was trying to protect people in a safe room and there were enemies just relentlessly pushing for us. I killed one guy, and next thing I knew, I was in a choke hold by another one. Managed to stun him before shooting him dead with my pistol. After that, everything seemed to slow down as I saw a frag grenade get tossed into the room. I dove for it, tipped it away, and ended up colliding with another person. No explosion came after, only Craig constantly calling out my name until I realized what I saw was just a flashback of the past that was all too real for my liking."

"Very interesting….these flashbacks you have are…..rather vivid and you seem to remember detail for detail it appears. That is something most can not simply do, but you seem to harness something that most don't. Perhaps this is another reason why Six recruited you into the team," Doc chuckled, "Anyways, you mentioned that someone wanted you to come see me?"

"Yeah, Eliza did."

"How come?"

"She was the one on the receiving end of the tackle. When I looked down at her, I could still sense the ravenous feel I had, but upon seeing her just under me like that, pinned to the ground, I realized what experience I had just relieved. I kept to myself for the remainder of the exercise and earlier today, she expressed her concern directly to me."

Doc nodded along silently, jotting down every bit of detail down.

"I'm glad you brought this to my attention Aiden. Something tells me that this is something your former officers wanted to keep off your records, perhaps as a way to ensure that they get their money's worth when you were around. You know how life is..." he bluntly stated.

"I know Gustave….trust me, I know all too damn well," he gruffly replied.

Seemingly satisfied, Doc tucked the pen away into the spiral of his notepad and tossed it onto his desk. Folding his hands in his lap, he looked back up at Storm, who was now staring at the ground.

"You know Aiden, I'm glad you brought up an issue like this to me. It isn't easy for people to come and talk about something that can be serious like this for example. They always bring it about when it's late to get help, but it's good that you came when you did. Also, you have a certain woman to thank as well it appears. Anyways, I got some stuff to take finish up here for the day, so if you don't mind, I would like to be at peace for what I have left."

Storm nodded in response and stood up from the chair and walked his way over to the door. Reaching for the handle, he paused as he turned his head back towards Doc.

"You're going out with the rest of the team later tonight, right?"

"Why wouldn't I?" the Frenchman chuckled.

Taking in the response, Storm opened the door and left the office, quietly closing the door behind him. All that was left to think about now was tonight's night out.

* * *

 **Time: 9:30 P.M.**

The majority of Team Rainbow was gathered in the main corridor of the first floor. Most were in informal clothes in order to suite the night, and others were just going casual clothing for the night. Storm was still up in his room, getting whatever last few things he needed. He himself was decked in a black t-shirt, black jeans, and Adidas high tops. Sifting through his closet, he was searching for some sort of hoodie or light jacket that would be appropriate for later tonight when it got cooler. Audibly, a knock was heard at his door.

"Hey, amigo! The gang's out in the main corridor on the first floor. You just about ready Aiden?"

The voice belonged to Jackal and Storm ultimately decided to wear his black long sleeve hoodie, something he was normally seen walking around in on base.

"Yeah, I'm coming now."

Sweeping his phone off his desk, he made leeway for the door and opened it wide. To the left, stood Jackal decked in a navy blue polo, jeans, and work boots as he pushed himself up off the wall.

"Glad to see you're going for something simple. Now c'mon!"

Jackal hurriedly made his way down the stairs with Storm close behind, but at a more controlled pace. Reaching the main corridor, the two linked up with everyone else. Pushing through the crowd, the pair managed to group themselves with Buck, Frost, Echo, Mute, and Mira. There was chatter among them for awhile, until Thatcher's booming voice was heard echoing in the hall.

"Team!"

Everyone quickly stood at attention as the eldest member of Team Rainbow showed up, dressed in a polo, khakis, and black dress shoes himself. Despite his age, he certainly dressed like he was younger than what he really was. Looking at the crowd before him, he couldn't help but only smile.

"Who's ready to have some fucking fun tonight?"

There was an audible roar from everyone in the corridor, except for Storm, Mute, Echo, and Buck as their natures kept them quiet.

"Right then, we got vehicles ready in the yard in which there is one per squad, or one per two squads since I know each squad doesn't really have a full set of four like others. So, JTF2 will be riding with the SEALs, BOPE will be riding with SAT, SDU and GROM will be traveling as three, meaning that GEO will have Storm as their third."

Storm was content with the situation since he at least had a good acquaintance in the forms of Jackal and Mira. Everyone started moving out into the yard in which the chatter continued loudly amongst everyone. Between Buck, Echo, Mute, and Storm, they already knew what they were doing the moment everyone reached the intended club that they were hitting up: and that was to link up and stray somewhat away from the party people. Loading themselves into the cars they had, Storm got in on the driver's side as Jackal took the driver's seat, with Mira riding shotgun. One by one, they pulled out onto the road and began the drive to their destination. Shortly after departing base, Jackal looked up into the rear view mirror, spotting Storm lazily looking out the window.

"So, Aiden, when's the last time you been out on the town?"

"Can't say for sure exactly, but probably when I was twenty-eight."

"Damn, four years man? That's quite a time."

"The amount of work when working with those PMCs was immeasurable, so I barely had the time to do anything extracurricular."

"Gotcha."

The rest of the ride was relatively quiet, and in due time they arrived on a rather packed street as the Team Rainbow vehicles took up most of the space along the side. Stepping out of the car, Storm could already feel the cool air gently blowing against him as he looked up and down the street, before swinging around the car and walking along the sidewalk. Everyone else was already trying to crowd themselves into the club, and the music could be heard very audibly as they got closer to the entrance. The moment they entered, everyone started to splinter away into their own groups or pairings, with Storm linking up with Buck, Echo, and Mute once more. They were a bit perplexed as to how to go about the evening.

"Well, Mike didn't give us a time limit as to when we'll be leaving, so I'm guessing we'll be here till closing," Mute noted.

"And how much time does that give us?" Echo asked.

"About six hours to party more or less, potentially seven," Mute replied.

"Fuck it, let's get started with some drinks why don't we?" Buck motioned

The four made their way up to the bar, scanning the various selections of mixed drinks that they could get their hands on. It was a difficult decision to make as all the ones they could think of sounded tempting to each one's desire, but they all eventually decided on what their first drinks of the night would be. Storm settled for a Whiskey Sour, Buck went with a White Russian, Echo got a Blue Lagoon, and Mute opted for a Martini. The four gentlemen clinked their glasses together, with Buck chiming his thoughts in.

"To the team, and to Aiden, for making it through his first week and also being the badass he is," Buck stated, chuckling.

Storm couldn't help but smile at it as he sipped on his drink. After standing about for a few moments, the four made their way to a booth table in order to settle down and distance themselves from the party crowd. At a table some distance from them, they noted Fuze and Tachanka sitting with one another, sipping on Bloody Marys in order to try and clear away their hangovers that they were still recovering from. The group couldn't help but laugh at the duo's misfortune as they continued to look around at the people on the dance floor. There was a mix of Team Rainbow with regular civilians and each one was trying to spot people out, which was rather difficult since everyone was wearing something that they only wore on rare occasions.

"Christ, I can't even find Tina in this mess…" Buck stated.

"Isn't that her with Meghan right there?" Mute pointed out.

"I think? Shit, we're really gonna lose track of everyone here," Buck chuckled.

They all laughed at the remark as they continued sipping on their drinks. Each one at the table had their sights set for someone so they could mark who was easily identifiable to them and hopefully find others that belonged to them. The task was much easier said than done as they all continued to struggle to find their teammates. They gave up their search and all leaned back in their seats in order to stretch themselves out more. Among the crowd, Kapkan suddenly broke through, almost breathless as he appeared before the group.

"Hey Max," Mute said.

"Huh? Ah, comrades, hello," Kapkan replied, "Have any of you seen Timur by chance?"

"Not that I can say. Why?" Mute asked

"He's disappeared somewhere and I hope that he didn't just leave to go do his own thing again. I know how much he loves painting, but to leave during such a graceful event would be disappointing," Kapkan stated.

Everyone started scanning around the floor to see if they could find the team's only sniper, but due to how congested the place was, it seemed rather unlikely that Glaz would've been there. Echo looked up, and took note of the balcony that was up above, but also noted a figure of sorts that had a giant board or canvas in front of them as they looked over the railing.

"Is that him up there?" Echo pointed out.

Kapkan swiveled his head around to the figure Echo pointed out, and immediately seemed to recognize the person by face.

"Christ, that is Tim. Is he really painting at this time?" he sighed, "I'll leave you guys back to your drinks. I swear I need to keep Timur on a leash sometimes…"

Kapkan shuffled off as the four went back to their drinks, still eyeing the dance floor for anything potentially inviting. Everyone else was out there either dancing or just standing about and talking, but they remained away from it since they weren't exactly the kinds of people to party. They did note at the bar though, how Fuze and Tachanka were going shot for shot with one another.

"Those two are back at it again…" Storm noted.

"It's cheap liquor they're drinking. They could go all night if they wanted," Echo added.

Also at the bar, Jäger was chatting Ela up while Lesion and Ying were hanging about at a table by themselves. This particular caught the interest of Echo, and soon enough he found himself staring in the duo's direction. At the table, Storm lightly elbowed Mute, garnering his attention. Pointing out Echo to him, Mute silently nodded as the two discreetly looked on. Meanwhile, Buck was being discreet about watching Jäger and Ela at the bar.

"What do you reckon Masa's gonna do?" Mute whispered.

"Beats me," Storm quietly replied.

"Wait, I have an idea…" Mute responded as he pulled out his phone.

Sifting through his contacts, he pulled Lesion's info and immediately started texting him.

" _Liu."_

The two watched on as Lesion started pulling his phone out of his pocket, looking at the message he had just received, and soon began his response.

" _Hey Mark. What's up?"_

" _Need your help with something. It regards two certain people."_

" _Do I happen to know these people?"_

" _Maybe…"_

" _Lemme guess...Masa and Siu."_

" _Winner winner."_

" _What's the plan?"_

" _Aiden and I are gonna try to push Masa over to Siu. We just need you to simply move out the way."_

" _Sounds easy enough. You want me to sit with you guys?"_

" _Go for it man."_

Mute tucked his phone away as he lightly elbowed Storm.

"Keep Masa busy for a few seconds. Just got Liu in on this…" he whispered.

Storm silently nodded in response as he turned his attention to Echo.

"Masaru."

"Huh?"

Echo's head swiveled around, focusing his attention on Storm.

"Question for you."

"What is it?"

"Your Yokai drone….how'd you come up with the idea?"

"Well, it's a bit of a story, but I'm willing to share it."

"Spill then."

As Echo started to get into the depth of his creation, Mute carefully craned his head toward Lesion. After a few moments, Lesion looked back towards him waving his hand briefly. Mute nodded in response as a signal. Standing up, Lesion turned back over to Ying.

"Wǒ mǎshàng huílái. Yào zǒudòng hé shūzhǎn," **(I'll be right back. I'm gonna go walk around and stretch.)** he stated.

Ying waved flicked her hand towards him in response as he turned and walked away, leaving Ying by herself. Echo was still knee deep in his tale, but was starting to wrap it up as Storm was constantly nodding along.

"...and that's basically how the Yokai was created after some time," Echo finished.

"Interesting...very interesting," Storm replied.

Echo nodded along in response before turning his attention back towards the table where Ying was at. He was a bit surprised to now just see her alone, on her phone and not having her SDU partner Lesion with her. Storm and Mute exchanged glances as they took note of the action, with Storm giving Mute a nod as a sign to lead on.

"Say Masa, you've been looking in the direction of Siu. Why not try to talk to her?" Mute questioned.

"No...I couldn't do that. After what happened between us, I doubt I could muster up the courage again to talk to her directly. Bet she still hates me…" Echo sighed.

"C'mon on Masa, don't be sounding all gloomy now. Liu's not there with her, why not take the chance to reconnect?" Mute asked.

"I don't know…." Echo muttered.

"You _won't_ know unless you _do so_ ," Storm bluntly stated.

Echo swung his head back toward Storm, giving him a slightly irritated stare.

"And what the hell would you know Aiden?"

"Because I've always made the constant mistake of not making the move to talk with a pretty woman. I've spent my life as a loner. I went through high school single, went to prom, dances, whatever other fucking events there were by myself. I suggest you don't pull the same move that costed me in the past."

The bold statement left everyone at the table quiet, and Buck cleared his throat in order to try and ease the tension as he kept staring off at the bar where Jäger and Ela were still talking with one another. Echo and Storm continued to hold their stalemate of a staring contest while Mute awkwardly watched on. Giving in, Echo exhaled a defeated sigh.

"Fine...I'll go do it."

A slight smirk crept onto Storm's lips as he nodded in satisfaction. Reluctantly, Echo pushed himself out of his seat, taking in deep breaths before he started striding over to his ex-girlfriend.

" _You can do this Masaru...you can do this,"_ was the only thought that ran through his head.

Back at the table, Lesion slipped into the booth, taking Echo's seat as he let out a relaxed breath.

"Glad to finally be here gentlemen. Also nice to see you convinced Masa to try and talk to Siu," Lesion stated.

"Can only hope it goes well," Storm and Mute responded as they keep sneaking glances at Echo as he drew closer to Ying.

Echo could feel his stomach churning in a very uncomfortable manner as he got closer. He thought she didn't notice him approaching, given how absorbed she was with her phone. Eventually, he reached the table, seating himself right across from Ying.

"Siu…"

Hearing her name called by the man who was once her beloved other half made her go stiff and her muscles tensed. Slowly putting her phone down, she looked up at Echo, who had about the same serious stare as she did at the moment.

"Masaru. What do you want?" she stated, irritability almost ringing through.

"I….I….want to talk with you," he stuttered.

"What is there to talk about Masa?" she questioned.

Echo could feel his heart racing as Ying leaned forward towards him. He could almost see the cleavage that she had exposed, but he managed to keep his eyes locked on hers. At the same time, he could feel his face starting to burn red.

"Christ, man looks like he's drunk off sake right now," Lesion noted.

Ying continued to look at him directly, her face still stone cold as Echo started to fidget a bit in the seat.

" _Cute as always when he fidgets,"_ she thought, " _Wait, why am I thinking about this?!"_

She shook her head and was soon enough starting blush at the same time, leaning back into her chair as she tried to cover her face with her arm, but Echo easily noticed.

"What's got your face so red Siu?"

"N-nothing. Nothing at all…"

"You warm or something?" he could feel the redness in his cheeks starting to fade away a bit as he regained his composure.

Ying remained silent as she hesitated for a response. Originally while she had the advantage in the conversation, the tables had now easily turned the moment the thought crept into her head. She shook her head again, standing up from her seat, grabbing her jacket.

"Just….follow me outside Masa…"

"Uh….okay…"

He slowly stood up from his seat himself as he followed Ying to the entrance. Back at the table, the three were relatively shocked at how the scenario had played out.

"Well...I'll be damned," Storm cooley stated as he took another sip of his Whiskey Sour.

"Can't wait to hear the news later," Mute chuckled.

"I'm with ya on that boat," Lesion added.

Buck finally returned his focus to the group, as he took another sip from his drink.

"What I miss?"

"Oh, just Masa and Siu heading outside," Mute chimed.

"Oh shit, for real?" Buck asked.

The three simultaneously nodded in response, garnering a small laugh from Buck.

"Well goddamn," he added, "You lot were here watching that, meanwhile I'm over here thinking that Marius is trying to score with Ela."

"What makes you say that?" Lesion questioned.

"Literally the past twenty minutes, those two have been at the bar just drinking and chatting about. Plus, I think Marius was paying for most of those drinks in all honest. That usually gives the hint," Buck chuckled.

The group gave a collective laugh as they clinked their glasses together on that note. Downing the rest of his, Storm stood up and shifted his way over to the outside.

"Be right back, bathroom break," he stated.

"Don't be too long Aiden, otherwise you might miss the former lover birds come flying back in," Lesion laughed.

Storm shook his head laughing as he headed for the restroom. Just as he reached for the handle on the door, it swung open and standing there in front of him was Sledge. The air between the two immediately went silent as they stared down one another as the club music was going off in the background. Eventually, Sledge broke away from the deadlock and slid past Storm, returning to the others. Running a hand over his hair, Storm entered the restroom, wondering if Sledge still held a grudge against him for what happened.

* * *

 **Time: 11:25 P.M.**

After relieving himself, Storm washed up, even running his wet hands through his hair in attempt to cool himself since the heat in the club was slightly unbearable to an extent. Nonetheless, he finished up and exited the restroom, letting out a relaxed breath.

"Aiden."

Whipping his head in the direction of voice, he was surprised to be met by Ash leaned up against the near wall, decked in black jeans, biker boots, and a white shirt with a grey cardigan. She still had her hair up in a ponytail, but it was more casual instead of the usual braided style she did.

"Hey Eliza."

"You talk to Gustave?"

"Yeah, talked to him for a bit some time before we were heading out."

"Good….good. Glad to hear that."

Storm nodded in response. There was a bit of an awkward silence as he didn't know what else to talk about, meanwhile Ash still seemed calmly collected, almost staring off into space in Storm's general direction.

"You down to go for a walk?"

"...Sure. Just give me a sec to grab my my things. Left my phone back at the table I'm sitting at."

"Just meet me by the entrance when you got everything."

Storm gave her a thumbs up as he walked by as he started making his way back to his group. At the table, the three were back to watching Jäger and Ela who were off to the side of the dance floor, talking and laughing the entire time. Storm walked up to the table, grabbing his hoodie off the nearby hook before putting it on.

"Going somewhere Aiden?" Buck asked.

"Yeah, just going for a walk around the area. Want to stretch my legs some more, but hey, keep me updated on the situations between the potential lover birds," he replied, swiping his phone off the table.

The three waved him to him as departed the table once more and refocused their attention on the action going on between Jäger and Ela. Storm linked up Ash again the entrance, with the two exiting the club out onto the sidewalk where the street was bustling with other people that were exploring the various clubs and bars around the area. It had been awhile since Storm had seen so much activity in any kind of town or city since the last time he went for a night out on the town.

"Beautiful place, don't you think?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, real pretty," Storm replied.

The nighttime sky was beautifully lit with all the stars that dotted the dark sky. The two started their stroll down the avenue, with Ash having her hands clasped behind her back, and Storm with his hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie. For a time, there was relative silence between the pair as they constantly looked along the streetside to what was around them. However, the further they continued walking, the closer Storm found Ash at his side, almost touching shoulders. He could feel himself starting to blush from such close contact with such a woman, and he was thankful that Ash hadn't noticed it as they continued to walk down along the busy street. Eventually, they ended up coming upon a rather large park. There were people dotted throughout the place doing whatever nightly activities they had going on as the duo soon slowed their walking speed, taking in every detail of their surroundings. While looking around, Storm happened to notice two familiar figures sitting on a bench together, both looking up into the night sky. Squinting, he could make out the same hairstyle that belonged to Echo, and that automatically gave the assumption that the woman next to him was Ying.

" _So this is where those two wandered off...I'll be damned,"_ he thought.

His mind started to wander as he watched on, hoping for the best between the two. From the get go, he already could gauge how nervous Echo was in the beginning of the night. Compared to now though, he seemed a bit more at ease, but he still looked tense and he could even sense that when he looked over at Ying. It certainly was a rough time for the two trying to break down the barrier between them. He also couldn't help but laugh at the situation due to the awkwardness, but he restrained himself from bursting out in a fit of laughter since he was focused with other things. What brought his attention back was not the fact that he realized that his mind wandered, but the fact that he felt Ash's arms snake around his arm, firmly wrapping it between hers.

" _What the actual fuck is happening…..I don't know if I should be happy or confused right now…"_ he thought. He could feel a cold sweat starting to break, but taking in a deep breath, he kept his composure as he kept looking around the park, with Ash now clinging to his arm.

Still slowing pacing around the park, after leaving the the tense pairing of Echo and Ying alone, the two started to get looks from other couples that were wandering about. He could hear Ash softly laughing as they went by each couple, but he wasn't sure if he should laugh along or keep his mouth shut. Either way, he felt his mind enter a state of relative bliss as they kept walking step for step, yet, something else caught his eye. One the other pairings looked extremely familiar to him, and upon hearing their laughter and catching a glimpse of who they were, he immediately noticed the Asian woman that was walking the man next to her.

" _Holy hell….Jordan and Yumi? What the fuck is happening….is this some couples night bullshit?"_ he thought. He could feel sweat slowly start to run down his face, but he wiped it away with his sleeve, trying his hardest to keep his cool.

The pair eventually came across a small clearing the park, in which it looked like there was no one else but them. Ash unlatched herself from Storm's arm and started walking into it, her hands returning to being clasped behind her. Storm followed close behind her up until the point that they were in the middle of the clearing. He didn't know what to really make of the situation as he stood there, hands in his pockets as he quietly watched on. Just watching her almost seemed to put his mind at ease from all the hardships in life. She was sweet, quiet, and seemed to have a caring nature for everyone, but his mind was still unsure of how to interpret it all. As he continued to stand there in relative peace, Ash started to slowly walk in circles around him,quietly humming to herself. There was still slight confusion on his face, but the moment was broken as he felt his phone buzzing in his hand that was tucked into his pocket. Pulling it out, he turned on the screen and noticed there was about a mix of ten messages from Buck and Mute from a solid half hour ago. Letting out a sigh, he tucked it away into his pocket once more as he looked back up into the night sky, the stars almost shining brighter than ever. There was just something about looking at the sky that made him feel at ease, almost in state of comfort and security. His eyes slowly traced each star's path to the next, almost in an attempt to form constellations of his own. Suddenly, but gently, he felt Ash take his hand in hers, their fingers intertwining with one another's.

"Aiden."

"Hm?"

He looked down at Ash, they're eyes locking onto one another in pure silence. He could feel his heart starting to race at the contact, the sight, and the silence. It was something he had never experienced before, but the fact that he was now, made him completely unsure as to how he should proceed with it. He could almost see the moonlight reflecting off of Ash's azure blue eyes.

"I'm glad to have met you Aiden...despite our awkward introduction."

"Yeah."

"You're someone of a different breed that I can actually trust, someone who actually makes me feel safe."

He could only nod in response.

"Thanks…for making me feel more secure in this world."

Ash leaned into him, resting her head against his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. The motion completely threw Storm off, as he quickly turned bright red, but keeping his composure, he returned the gesture, pulling her close.

" _This…..this is….I-I-I don't know how to describe this…...what do I do…."_ he thought.

Thoughts were racing through his mind and it pained him greatly to be so confused in this situation. Why was he even questioning the situation right now? Exhaling a relaxed sigh, he rested his head on hers, listening only to their breaths and heartbeats as they stood together in the clearing. Meanwhile, from afar, Thermite and Hibana were watching, crouched behind some of the bushes.

"I'll be damned…." Thermite muttered.

"Does this mean…" Hibana's voice trailed off.

"That they're a thing? I don't know. Eliza could just be being nice to Aiden to make him feel more comfortable around us. Then again…."

Thermite pondered the idea, but shook his head at the thought.

"All I can say is I don't know," he whispered.

The duo turned their attention back to the pairing, as they started to somewhat sway together in the clearing. It was absolute bliss for the two, but it was suddenly interrupted as Storm's phone started going off again. Annoyed, he drew it out of his pocket looking directly at the screen. Another fifteen messages had arrived from Buck and Mute, and even a few from Lesion. Sighing, he withdrew one of his arms as he sent a quick message back to three.

"Guess we should start heading back…" he sighed.

"Guess we should, but first..." she trailed off.

She took the phone out of Storm's hand and turned on the camera, handing it back to Storm.

"You know what to do now."

Slightly smiling, he held it at an angle, high enough to catch both of their upper halves in the shot. Pressing the button, the device took a few seconds to register before ultimately capturing the shot. Looking back at the shot, one could easily see the sly smile on each of their faces as the faint moonlight shone down on them. Locking his hand back with hers, the two made their way out of the clearing and back towards the street. Thermite and Hibana continued to watch on from their position, and finally stood up from their cover once the pair had walked out of their line of sight.

"Well I'll be…" the Texan stated.

"I think they're cute together," Hibana replied.

"I'll still give it a few days to see if they actually become boyfriend/girlfriend, but for now, we should probably start heading back as well. It's getting really dark now," Thermite noted.

Taking the notion, the duo started to depart from the park, amazed with what happened throughout the night not just for the Ash and Storm, but for others as well.

* * *

 **Time: 12:35 A.M.**

Following after the other two, the two walked along the street, the traffic still somewhat heavy but the streets were less crowded than before, making the trek a lot easier. Reaching the club's entrance, it was relatively easy to re-enter since there wasn't a huge rush of people at the door. Inside, most people were lounging about either at the bar, or at whatever booths were available. Storm was back with his usual group of Buck, Mute, and Echo. Lesion and Ying were back at their own table, both playing about on their phones. Fuze and Tachanka were passed out at the bar while Kapkan and Glaz were still atop the balcony, with Glaz still working on whatever painting he had going. At another table, Jäger had Ela sitting in his lap, the two practically almost having their makeout session in the corner, which garnered quiet laughter from both Thermite and Hibana.

"Didn't think Marius had it in him to be such a ladies man," Thermite commented.

"I'm surprised Ela's so open with him," Hibana noted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

The two made their way back to their group involving Pulse, Castle, and Ash, who were now just casually chatting about. Back at the quiet kids table, Echo was sharing his tale of what happened earlier in the night.

"It was just so random that we happened to go to the park by chance. I mean, she was really flustered and all, but the fact she let me stay around amazed me," Echo stated.

"What did you even do at the park?" Buck asked.

"We mostly just sat on a bench talking about our lives and the past...which was a bit….awkward to say the least, but at least it was something to talk about," Echo replied, shrugging.

Buck turned his attention towards Storm.

"So, where'd you end up going off to?" he questioned.

"A walk."

"By yourself?"

"No. With someone."

Once again his vagueness was shining in a display of his usual self as he rested his chin on his fists.

"Was it with a special woman? C'mon Aiden, tell us," Mute teased.

Storm rolled his eyes at the two. Instead of answering, he simply pulled out his phone and flipped through it. After a few moments, he paused and simply handed it off to Buck

"That answer your question?" Storm asked.

Buck angled the phone so that Mute could also get a good look of the photo that was on the screen. Both of their mouths were agape as they saw who Storm was paired with in the captured shot.

"Eliza?! Holy shit dude…" Buck gasped.

"I never would've thought you'd be the one special to her," Mute stated, "You two certainly look cute together, I'll say that much."

Storm waved his arm about as uneasiness spread onto his face.

"I wouldn't say we're quite a thing. I mean, we literally just walked around in this park and happened upon this small clearing that was just there. Next thing I know, we're just standing there in each other's arms in pure silence," he bluntly responded.

"If you say so Aiden. Telling you now though, she most _definitely_ has a thing for you," Buck replied, showing Echo the photo, to which the Japan native nodded along in approval at the sight.

Suddenly, a mic was audibly turned on, causing everyone in the venue to look around in confusion as they tried to find the source.

"Test, test. One, two," a British voice called out.

Everyone turned towards the stage area, where Thatcher was standing with a cocktail in hand and the mic in the other. Out of instinct, every Rainbow member stood at attention, including those that were sitting.

"Jesus, we're not even on base and you guys are still acting like I'm about to shout some shit at you all. Relax guys."

Everyone's shoulders dropped as they exhaled their held breaths and those that shot up from their seats, immediately sat back down with a relaxed feel.

"I'm only gonna be on here a minute, but there is something that I do wish to address. It involves a member of Team Rainbow, some of you may know him, others might not, yet, but this is something I think that needs to be done. Aiden, where you at mate?"

Hearing his name called, Storm stood up from his table and made sure everything he had on was straightened before making his way towards the stage. He wasn't hard to miss, and just about everyone who could sense his presence immediately started shifting to the side so he had a clear path to the front. Reaching Thatcher, the elder member simply smiled at him as he put his arm around the big guy's shoulders.

"Those who don't know this guy, this is Aiden Mitchell. Rainbow's latest addition to the team. A week back, he first arrived on base and I know that everyone wasn't exactly sure how to go about him and from what I remember, your first full day wasn't the greatest either now was it Aiden?"

This earned Thatcher an eye roll from Storm as he shook his head while others chuckled at the remark. Sledge audibly groaned in the background, with Smoke patting him on the back as a means of support.

"However, that isn't why I brought you up here. Why I brought you up here? I brought you up here so I could be the first to give you a proper welcome to the team, mate. There ain't much to say, but welcome to bloody team Aiden. Glad to have you on board!"

There was a loud cheer from the people in the crowd with drinks raised high and the music continuing to play loudly throughout the venue. Storm couldn't help but smile big at the gesture from Thatcher, who gave him a slap on the back before walking off. As much as he appreciated the kind words, he already knew how welcome he was in Hereford as he looked toward Mute, Buck, and Echo, who raised their glasses to him.

" _I'm home,"_ he thought, " _And this….this is my family…..all right here…."_

Stepping away from the stage, he meandered his way back to the group where another four glasses were on the middle of the table, waiting for them. Each one picked a glass up and raised it up into the air above them.

"To Aiden," Buck stated.

"For being the quiet soldier," Echo added.

"And cool guy we know," Mute finished.

Storm nodded and smiled in approval as the four downed their drinks. It was certainly a rejuvenating moment for them as it was for a special celebration. From afar, Thermite and Hibana looked on from the bar.

"He seems to be fitting in quite well," Hibana noted.

"Hm, indeed he is," Thermite responded.

It was a pleasurable site to witness Storm in such good spirits. Still in the middle of celebrating, he looked over his shoulder, catching the gaze of the woman he was with earlier. He could almost feel everything around him slow down as the two were in another deadlock of staring. Yet, rather than hold it, he simply gave a nod to Ash, raising his glass, which she smiled at in response. Not only had he found himself the right kind of friends that understood him, but also a girl that appreciated him for who he was and cared for his well being. On that night, there wasn't anything in the world that he would trade those things for.


	6. Chapter 6: Return to Combat

**Author's Note: Chapter 6, here it is! :D Finally got this one done and so far, this is the longest chapter I have written for TSOL. I appreciate the reviews that some of you have been leaving on the story, they mean a lot to me and I appreciate them all :) By the time I'm publishing this, the story is already close to 800 views last time I checked :O It's insane. A little over two weeks ago I started publishing this and to see it's already being read so much makes me very happy :D**

 **Anyway, that's enough rambling for now :P Hope you guys enjoy reading Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 should be up sometime next week. I'll be able to start working on the chapter tomorrow since I don't have school thanks to Veterans Day. Enjoy reading!**

* * *

 _May 6, 2018_

 **Time: 2:20 P.M.**

Exhaustion was coursing through his body as he sat at his desk, resting his head on his fist as he drearily stared at the monitor in front of him. His body was still recovering from last night as all the alcohol had weighed him down last night since him, Buck, Echo, and Mute drank more than they planned. He had a hard time getting up himself this morning, and sitting here just made him yearn for his bed more, but he pushed himself to stay awake and alert whenever. Rubbing at his eye and letting out a large yawn, a knock came at his door.

"It's open…" he groaned.

The door opened slowly, and in stepped the Spetsnaz member Glaz, wearing his signature half mask that covered the lower half of his face. In his hands, he carried a rather large rolled up piece of paper that had a bow wrapped on it. Storm turned his way around to face him, exhaling an exhausted breath.

"Hey Tim."

"Afternoon. A present for you, from last night."

He handed the rolled up paper to him, to which Storm took a delicate hold of as he looked at it.

"What is this anyway?"

"A painting of sorts. I believe you may have noticed me up on the balcony last night when Maxim was looking for me."

"Oh, right…."

"Well, go on, open it."

Untying the bow, he carefully unfurled the paper to its full extent. His eyes went wide at the sight of the image as he scanned it up and down.

"Woah…"

On the canvas, was a painting of him and the three others, sitting at the table laughing about. The amount of detail was incredible, from the color, to every item that was there including the drinks. He was amazed that Glaz even included the ring that Storm still had on his hand.

"Tim….this….this is impressive."

"I thank you for that."

"How long have you been a painter?"

"Since my time in secondary school. I've always loved art and the different styles of it. Some being more expressive than others, and others having more vivid themes than others. Yet, the beneficial thing painting has given me, is the ability to examine precise details….something extremely important for a sniper."

Storm nodded along as he continued to look on at the painting in awe. It was an art style he had never seen before, but it completely fascinated him to such an extent. Glaz chuckled at American's amazement.

"Say, Tim, would you mind if I requested you painting something for me?"

"What is it exactly?"

Storm drew out his phone and immediately went to his photo gallery. Pulling up the photo from last night, he handed it to Glaz to look over.

"What do we have here? You with Miss Cohen? Quite the picture I have to say Aiden, and a very beautiful one at best."

Storm nodded along.

"Answering your question, I can most certainly paint this for you. Just either text me the image or email when possible. I'd be glad to work on it," Glaz beamed, handing the phone back.

"Excellent. I'll send it to you sometime later today," Storm replied.

"Cool. Well, I'll be heading out now. Gonna go see if Alex and Shuhrat have woken up yet, which they most likely haven't, but we'll find out."

Glaz turned on his heels and made his way out the door with Storm giving him the two finger salute as he went back to stare at the painting. The colors almost seemed alive when he stared at them long enough, and the details were just….amazing. Reaching into the drawer closest to him, he pulled out a box of push pins and carried it with the painting over to the space that hung over his bed. Taking four out of the box, he took careful time to put each one in the respective corners of the paper, securing it to the spot. Stepping back, he nodded in approval at the sight of the magnificent art piece.

"Can't wait to show the guys this later…"

Returning to his desk, he plopped himself back into his seat, exhaling a long winded sigh as he looked back at his monitors. There really wasn't a whole going on in the day since the entire team was given the day off to recover from last night, and he wasn't sure if he was game for going down to the rec room to see if there was anyone there. He lightly tossed his phone onto his desk as he scrolled through the tabs he had opened. YouTube, nothing interesting. Spotify, just the same songs. Nothing, nothing of interest at all to do. Dropping his shoulders in defeat, he reclined back in his chair. He could feel his eyelids starting to get heavy, and he figured a nap would probably do him justice right now given he didn't sleep much last night. Pushing himself up onto his feet, he grabbed his phone off the desk and shuffled over to his bed, dropping down onto the mattress in exhaustion.

"Two hours should be enough…" he muttered.

Feeling his eyelids start to drop on him again, he gave into it as he went back to sleep. It was one thing for him to go throughout the day without the need to lay down for a nap, but for today it was well in order.

* * *

 **Time: 4:45 P.M.**

He could already feel himself starting to stir from his slumber as his eyes slowly opened up, and he felt more refreshed compared to how he was feeling hours earlier. He went to go stretch his arms out, but he suddenly felt his right arm was pinned down.

"The hell?"

He could also feel his chest was slightly heavier, which really confused him.

" _The fuck is going on with my body?"_ he thought.

Storm managed to lift his head up enough to see what was causing this, and his face turned red upon realizing what was happening. Ash had apparently come into his room and was asleep right next to him, his arm wrapped around her, and her head resting on his chest. He could immediately feel his heart start to race and the immense thumping that was coming from it.

" _Shit….if someone comes in here and sees us…"_

A knock came at his door.

" _FUUUCK!"_ he internally screamed.

Slowly, he tried to pull his arm out from underneath Ash, however, the movement of his arm only made her snuggle closer to him by nuzzling her head into his shoulder, causing panic to spread throughout his mind. He kept looking around trying to see if there was some way to make the scene less awkward and somehow slip by before something bad happened. His search results were becoming more in vain as he fretted, and soon enough he felt a drop of sweat starting to roll down his face.

" _Shit, shit, shit…."_

Another knock sounded off his door.

"Aiden. It's Masaru."

Hearing Echo's voice put him a bit more at ease, but it still didn't erase the fact that he had a _woman_ sleeping next to him in his arm. Storm started reaching around his bed to see if he could find his phone, which he was hoping wasn't on the other side of Ash or had fallen off the side and onto the floor. Eventually he turned his head toward his night stand, and that's when he caught a glimpse of his phone lying on top of it. He figured he'd be able to make the reach, but it would be an extremely awkward angle that he would have to make in order to get it at and frankly, he wasn't up for it.

" _Fuck...she must've put it there when she came in….this is bad…."_ he thought.

Meanwhile, Echo was still knocking at his door, standing outside the room perplexed as to why there was no answer coming from the American. Buck soon came up to the floor, a look on his face expressing confusion as he watched Echo still standing outside Storm's room.

"Masa, what are you doing?"

"I wanted to see if Aiden was down to chill in the rec room, but he isn't answering the door, which is unusual. Normally it's just one knock and you're in."

"Maybe he's still trying to sleep last night off. I know he ended up staying up extremely late and he looked like a mess at breakfast this morning. You could just sense the fatigue in him when he sat down."

"Eh, you're probably right. You down to kick it though?"

"Hells yeah."

The two made their way away from Storm's door, to which Storm listened very closely to as their footsteps echoed in the hallway, until he could hear them heading down the stairs. Once it was all quiet again, he exhaled a relaxed breath as he let his head sink back into his pillow.

" _Too damn close…"_

Silence refilled the room as he blankly looked up at the ceiling, almost like he was searching for a solution in it. Amidst the silence, he could hear Ash's faint breathing as she continued to sleep and the more he listened, the more he could hear her heartbeat as well. He quietly chuckled to himself as he thought over the entire mess he was almost in, but thankfully no one had walked in, and the more he focused on the situation of him being with her, put him into a state of bliss as he began to quietly hum to himself. Storm had no idea what to do since he was basically pinned to his bed by Ash, and there was no way he was getting his arm out from under her. His phone started to buzz, but he ignored it, letting it continue to go off. What caught him off guard was the fact that it was a phone call instead of a text message, and soon enough a voice came onto the line:

" _Hey Aiden, it's Mark here. Just wanted to let you know that Sebastien, Masa, and I are out in town right now doing some errands. So if you happen to come down to the rec room later and don't see us, you know why now. Take care man, talk to you soon."_

After that, the call ended with the voicemail left by Mute. Despite the loud volume, he was amazed that it didn't even affect the sleeping Ash. While he didn't mind the company, he would admit that he was getting a bit annoyed because he wasn't sure if he should continue to sleep, or try to find a way out of this trap and go down to the rec room.

"Fuck it. If she wakes up, she wakes up. If she doesn't, she doesn't," he whispered.

With his free hand, he maneuvered it into the open space between him and Ash and pushed down, trying to allow for an opening for his arm to slip through. Slowly, he started to pull his trapped arm away, but when he was starting to get the last portion, Ash started to move, making him freeze his progress. It was a false alarm however, as she only shifted the positioning of her legs, earning a sigh of relief from Storm. Continuing, he managed to slip the rest of his arm out from under her. He could feel just how numb his arm was, but soon enough he felt the blood start to rush back into it.

" _Now it's just a matter of getting over her and to the door…."_

Storm figured he could easily crawl over Ash without making contact if he could just swing his far leg over and step off, but at the same time he would have to hope that it didn't put him in an awkward position. Throwing it to the wind, he slowly maneuvered himself into position and swiftly, but quietly, threw his left leg over, firmly planting it on the ground and quickly after he did the same with the other leg, spinning himself away from the bedside.

"Went easier than I thought," he muttered.

He immediately swiped his phone off the nightstand and stashed it in his pocket. He turned his attention to the door, then looked back at Ash, who was still out like a light. Pondering an idea, he walked over to his closet and pulled out an extra blanket from the bottom space. Walking back to the bedside, he unfolded the blanket and laid it on top of Ash, smoothing down the edges where they fell. Satisfied with his work,he made way for the door and exited the room, leaving Ash to herself, still soundly asleep.

* * *

 **Time: 5:10 P.M.**

Slowly, but quietly, Storm made his way into the rec room, stretching his arms out as he let out a yawn. Already inside were Ela and Jäger, sitting on the main couch, watching television, and Frost was on one of the side couches, lounging about on it with her phone in hand. At the large table, Pulse,Hibana and Thermite were gathered by the head of it discussing plans regarding a mission they had in the coming days, and Jackal was a few seats over from them chatting about with Mira. Thermite looked up from the table and waved towards Storm.

"Aiden, you got a second?" Thermite asked

"Huh? Yeah, sure thing Jordan…" he yawned.

Taking a seat next to Pulse, he leaned forward, intent on hearing what Thermite had to say.

"What's up?"

"So here's the thing: There's a mission we've been assigned that's gonna be taking us out into France. Rumor has it that some White Masks cell is hiding up in the mountains somewhere and we've been tasked with flushing them out. Preferably we would like to keep the leader alive when we go to execute this, because the information he has can prove to be vital in preventing incidents like this again. Mike and I have already prepped a squad to carry this out, which includes Yumi, Timur, Ryad, and Eliza…...speaking of her, where even is she? I haven't heard from her all day."

Storm pretended to not hear the question as he blushed a bit.

"I thought she was in her room, last I checked," Pulse added.

Thermite exhaled a sigh.

"Either way, that's the squad we've drawn up for now. Originally, we were thinking of adding Shuhrat to the squad as well, but given his…...condition…..we scrapped him from the list. We were wondering if you would like to fill the fifth slot for this."

Storm's eyes widened a bit at the request, but calmly, he nodded in response.

"Sure. I'm game for it."

"Great. I'll let Mike know later today. Just as an added FYI, we'll also be sending Seamus and Taina in order to work as an interrogation team once the leader is captured. So, ultimately you'll be going with six other members to France Wednesday night. That's when we expect most of them to be inactive and that there will only be the nighttime watch wandering about."

"Alright. Is that all?"

"More or less. If anything else comes up, I'll just contact you."

"Works for me."

Thermite nodded in response and soon enough resumed his talks with Pulse and Hibana as Storm got up from his seat. He patted Jackal on the shoulder as he made his way out, to which the Spaniard gave him a small salute in response. Walking out of the room, he looked up and down the corridor before making his way back to the stairs and up to his floor.

* * *

 **Time: 5:30 P.M.**

Coming across his room, he noted that the door was still closed from earlier when he left to go downstairs.

"She must still be asleep…"

Opening the door, the first thing he immediately took note of was that Ash was now sitting on the edge of his bed, yawning with the blanket draped around her shoulders. Shaking his head, he entered the room with a slight smile on his lips.

"Nice to finally see you woke up," he noted.

Ash looked up at him, casually rubbing one of her eyes and letting out a yawn. Her shoulders slumped back down as Storm quietly laughed to himself.

" _Too cute…"_ he thought.

"Hey, sorry about coming in unannounced earlier," she drearily responded.

"It's fine. I would've been a bother if I had woken you up before hand," he replied, sitting down on the spot next to her.

"It was actually funny how I ended up sleeping here anyway," she giggled.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I walked up here at some point in the afternoon….about quarter after three is what I want to say. Your door had actually been left slightly open, so pardon the intrusion, and I just happened to walk in. You looked so peaceful just sleeping there. Anyways, I ended up sitting on edge and next thing I knew, you ended up pulling me down next to you, half-asleep."

The recollection made Storm blush a little as all he remembered was Ash being asleep in his arm when he woke up.

"So, ultimately I just stayed there since you had a pretty firm grip around me and ended up falling asleep right next to you."

Storm scratched at the back of his head, all the while Ash giggled at him for his embarrassment.

"No need to be embarrassed Aiden. If anyone should be embarrassed, it should be me, " she stated, her cheeks becoming rosy.

Storm looked over at her, slightly chuckling to himself as her face slowly became more red by the second.

" _Christ, what did I do to deserve this woman?"_ he wondered.

Scooching himself closer, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he rested his head on hers. Even so, Storm was amazed at how quick the relationship had started. Only here a week, and here he was already paired with one of the best looking women on base. It wasn't only the looks though that had him so attracted to her, but her personality and character were what also caught his attention. During this state of peacefulness between the two, the meeting with Thermite popped into Storm's head.

"Hey, I was talking with Jordan earlier down in the rec room."

"About?"

"The mission that's in a few days. Said they were needing a fifth."

"Yeah, Shuhrat was originally listed for it, but given how much he's been drinking with Alex, they're cutting him a break."

"Well….I took the open spot."

The statement caused Ash to draw herself away Storm, looking at him square in the eyes. Her demeanor had gone serious as they locked each other's gaze.

"Aiden….you're serious?"

"Yeah," he blankly replied.

"When was the last time you shot at a live enemy?"

"Nearly a month ago when I was doing operations in Cambodia. Drug lords are _vicious_ people."

"So you shouldn't be expecting anything different then. These White Masks are known to be brutal in some of their acts. I mean, just look at what happened in Cambridge at Bartlett."

"Eliza, I know. I remember that event unfolding just after I was sent to Tajikistan. Shit messed with my mind pretty bad because I got family back there in Mass. I didn't take that crisis lightly."

Ash exhaled a heavy sigh.

"Just don't be reckless is all I'm asking. The last thing I want is for you to get seriously hurt...or worse…." she muttered.

Her focus had turned toward the ground after saying those words. Storm could sense the pain in each word, and he knew he would say the same thing if he was in her boots. Letting out a sigh himself, he tilted his head up towards the ceiling. By his own standards, he knew he'd be fine. He had been in dangerous situations similar to this, so he wasn't going to treat it any differently, but treat it the same as any other mission. Turning his attention back to Ash, he pulled her close again.

"Look, I can promise you that I'll do my absolute best to keep myself safe. We're already throwing ourselves in harm's way, but the risk of injury is to be expected. I'll do what it takes to make sure I come out unscathed."

Delicately, and carefully, he took her chin in between his forefinger and thumb, turning her face towards him. Her eyes almost seemed to shimmer in the light.

"I promise," he whispered.

Leaning in, he pressed his lips up against hers, something that caused Ash to tense up a bit at first, but she settled after a few moments. It was something that was completely unexpected for her, but it was backed by sincere words from her partner. She could almost feel a tear starting to escape her eye, but she held it back. As for Storm, he felt it just come to him naturally to kiss her as they were in that state of bliss, but at the same time it was also something he wanted to do since last night in the park. After a few more moments had passed, he slowly broke away from their unison. He could see that Ash's face had become even more red than before, but the same could be said for his as he felt how warm his face was. At the moment, he didn't know what else to talk about. Really the only thing that could be discussed was the mission, but he knew that wouldn't exactly be a _good_ topic to discuss especially after what he had just done. Ash was the first to speak.

"It's getting close to night, and I'm pretty sure both of us could use the rest for tonight. The next two days are gonna be training heavy for Wednesday," she sighed.

"Yeah, back to the usual grind," he responded.

Withdrawing his arm from her shoulders, Storm stood up from his spot on the bed and extended his hand out towards Ash.

"I'll walk you back to your room, if you want," he offered.

Nodding, she took his hand as she stood up from the bedside herself, smiling back at him. He returned the gesture before guiding her out of the room. Leading her down the stairs, he tried his best to remain calm because he knew that if someone saw them like this, then he'd probably freak out on them. Regardless, the two managed to make it down the corridor without much hassle as it appeared that everyone else was out somewhere doing their own thing. He knew that Mute, Buck, and Echo had gone out into town for the time being, so the chance of seeing them was minimal. Everyone else though, he felt like could pop out at any given moment, but he tried not to think on it too much. Reaching the FBI SWAT section of dorms, Ash lead the rest of the way towards her room, with Storm doing one last sweep of the corridor, ensuring that the coast was clear as they reached her door. Ash turned herself towards him, looking straight up at him. Her stare always made him blush every time they made eye contact, something that humored her each time.

"Be seeing you tomorrow then," she stated.

"Yeah," he responded.

Releasing his hand from hers, he reached out with both arms, drawing her into an embrace. She returned the gesture, resting her head against his chest. Easily, Storm could remember the feeling from last night when they were like this in the clearing. While the scenery around them wasn't all that grand, it was the feeling that mattered the most to him. Looking down at her, he kissed the top of her head before resting his head on top of hers. After a few more moments had passed, the two broke from their unison, and Ash returned to the inside of her room. After watching the door close, Storm took his turn to leave and started making his way back towards the stairs. As he got closer to the stairwell, he bumped into Sledge at the base and the two shared another silent staredown between them.

"Seamus."

"Aiden."

"We'll be working together in the coming days."

"So Jordan informed me. Just don't be bothersome to everyone else…"

With that, Sledge slid his way past the slightly taller American as Storm watched him walk away. He knew that come Wednesday, all the tension and hate between the two would have to be pushed off to the side in order for their plan to go the way it needed to be done.

* * *

 _May 9, 2018_

 **Time: 9:40 A.M.**

It had been a relatively early wake up time for the squad to be up. Hibana, Glaz, and Jackal were already at the table that had been set up for them in the meeting hall, meaning that the other two vacant seats were left for Ash and Storm. Thermite and Thatcher were also present in the hall, with the two of them discussing matters over documents that Thatcher held in his hand. Eventually, Storm entered the room with Ash trailing not too far behind him, which garnered the attention of Thermite and Thatcher, leading them to finish up their discussion as Thatcher placed the documents on the table.

"Good, you two are here. Now we can proceed with this bloody briefing…" Thatcher stated.

Taking their respective seats, Ash, Storm, and the others looked on as Thermite pulled up a slideshow of sorts regarding the details of their mission that was to be executed later tonight.

"So, as you guys already know, you're being sent to France to undertake this nightly mission. This was sort of a last minute decision to handle this, so ultimately we're trying to be in and out of this place as quick as possible. Anyways, the place that you guys will be infiltrating will be a chalet out in the French Alps," Thermite began.

The slide shifted to the image of the building, showing exterior shots and interior shots of the chalet, as well as a general layout of the entire complex.

"Rumor has it from French authorities that the White Masks have been renting this chalet out as a means to hold confidential meetings, more or less a meeting house. However, there have also been reports of explosions happening in the woods around the building, meaning that they most likely have been working on developing their explosive arsenal. So, word of warning, be on the lookout for C4s, but also suicide bombers."

Switching over to the next slide, mugshots of a relatively young looking man appeared on the screen, which drew the attention of mostly everyone in the room.

"The target man that we're aiming to capture is a twenty-eight year old Frenchman by the name of Jourdain Girard. He's been one of the most valuable leaders in the French White Mask cells and has been responsible for most of the suicide bombings that have taken place across France in recent months. He is also rumored to be a bit deranged, so exercise _extreme_ caution when confronting him."

There were looks of nervousness on some of the members, but they easily shrugged them off as Thatcher called for their attention.

"Listen lads and lasses, this is one of the only chances we got at capturing this bloody fucker and end his reign of terror on the citizens of France. You lot need to be quick, careful, tactical, and in general fearless of what you're getting inserted into. Our air team will be bringing you all outside the compound in an AgustaWestland AW109. From there, you will be proceeding three klicks to the northwest in the direction of the chalet. Once arriving, you are free to proceed however you want, but _ensure_ that Girard is brought out alive for interrogation."

"Have Seamus and Taina been informed of all this?" Jackal questioned.

"Indeed. We met with them late last night to give them the overview of how this entire operation would go down. Once Girard is secured, the perimeter is clear, and there are no more Masks to fuck with you lot, then the interrogating can begin," Thatcher replied.

Jackal nodded along as he looked across at the rest of the squad. The remaining four were silent as they were still absorbing the information that had just been dumped onto them, but nonetheless, they seemed to have understood what Thatcher was ordering them to do.

"If there aren't any other questions, you lot are free to leave now. Report to the front entrance by six o'clock sharp. As stated before, this is really one of the only chances we'll ever have at capturing that Girard bastard," he gruffly stated.

Taking that as their cue to leave, all five proceeded to stand up and leave the hall, with Thermite and Thatcher staying back to jump on the discussion regarding the papers. Outside the meeting hall, the five conversed on the whole briefing.

"This isn't the first time we've had to deal with this Girard," Glaz noted, "I remember some months ago we had an opportunity at catching him, but he slipped through our fingers like the weasel he is."

"This is the same guy that was responsible for that subway bombing in Nancy, correct?" Jackal asked.

"Indeed Ryad. I can still remember hearing Emma's cries from down the hall upon hearing the news. An attack on her own home was a shock to hear, but it was worse for her when she learned that a close friend of hers was unfortunately killed by a collapsing piece of the ceiling in the tunnel. These White Masks don't even deserve the right to be in this world….the only things they bring are sorrow, terror, and heartache. They feel no remorse, "Glaz bluntly replied.

"I can see why Jourdain would be a fit for these bastards…" Storm added.

Glaz nodded in agreement, as did everyone else.

"Well, there's a lot stuff to get prepped in the meantime," he continued, "Best we get to it."

Everyone took it as the cue to split and they all went back to their respective rooms. What was about to unfold that night, would be pure hell as they had to deal with a mad bomber who held no remorse for the people he killed in whatever ways he could to invoke terror…

* * *

 **Time: 5:25 P.M.**

Lacing up his combat boots, Storm started to take the time to throw his shirt on, along with his combat vest and started doing a final check to ensure to that everything was fitted on properly: boots were on tight and comfortably, vest had been secured on well enough, and that all other equipment was fastened tight. From his closet, he grabbed his Kevlar helmet and started making his way for the main entrance with his helmet tucked under his arm. Along the way, he linked up with Ash and Sledge as they were just leaving their rooms, fully dressed in their combat gear. Sledge's broad facial features were now covered by his mask and with him he had The Caber stowed on his back. As for Ash, she had her done in the usual braided ponytail over her shoulder with her sunglasses being carried in one hand. Reaching the entrance, Thatcher greeted the trio as they then proceeded to wait for the other four to show, who slowly arrived one by one, with Jackal showing up five minutes before it was time to board and fly off to their destination. Grabbing all their gear, Thatcher started going over the mission once more as they walked out to the AW109.

"Remember, the main goal is to find Jourdain Girard and capture him. Secure the building, the perimeter, and then start questioning him. He's the main guy that will lead us to the next target that needs to be put down."

All seven nodded in unison as they boarded the helicopter. Thatcher gave a thumbs up to the pilot of the aircraft, as a signal to tell him that he could proceed. Everyone knew that the flight was gonna be a long one, but they had to remain alert at all times because for all they know, their transport could malfunction during the flight, or worse….they could potentially get shot down. However, that was the least of group's fears. What had them more worried was the safety of one another, the risk of suffering a fatal injury, the risk of capture, the risk of failure. These are the factors that made every operator's stomach churn on their way to their intended destination, and it wasn't always easy to stomach. Subconsciously, Ash placed her hand on top of Storm's, which he responded by squeezing it out of reassurance, but he kept hers held in his. The feel put her mind at ease, but Storm could still tell that her body said otherwise as her shoulders were up a bit higher than normal. Running his thumb over the top of her hand, he watched as her shoulders finally relaxed, garnering a slight smile from him as she let out a relaxed breath.

"Aiden," Jackal called.

"Hm?"

"You ever fought these White Masks before?"

"Can't say I have before. Most of the terrorist cells I've dealt with were the kind that were only local to one region. Haven't really fought an organization as global as the White Masks though."

"Well amigo, you are gonna witness first hand what these guys get when they're on the receiving end of our barrels," he smirked.

"Take it nothing but cold blood I assume."

"In most cases, but today is different compared to most. Usually we're just sent in to clean house, but this time we got to leave one cabron **(Bastard)** alive in this one."

"Not unusual. Often times when I was a PMC, that was usually the case for most of the missions we did. Attack or infiltrate the complex, secure the target man, and bring him back for questioning. The employers I had wanted bloodshed to be the last thing on their hands, so often times they resorted to stealth based missions or infiltration missions in order to get what they needed done in their time frame."

"Ah, so you're used to this kind of operation then."

"Indeed."

Jackal nodded along in approval as he slid the visor of his Eyenox over his eyes, testing it to make sure that it was functioning correctly before pushing it back up. Meanwhile, next to Ash, Caveira was chatting up Hibana about Thermite.

"Sooo...have you asked him out yet?" Caveira teased.

"Hush, Taina. Don't be pushing your luck," Hibana hastily whispered.

"I'm just asking is all. I think the real question is are you even planning to at all Yumi," Caveira replied.

The remark made Hibana's face turn bright crimson, which garnered a laugh from Caveira as she looked on.

"Looks like I found what makes you tick," Cav teased.

"Shut up…" was the only response that Hibana could formulate.

The rest of the flight was rather quiet between all seven, mainly because everyone kept napping at different intervals, so there were really only two or three people awake at a time. Eventually, the pilot came over the comms when they just crossed the border over into France.

" _Hey guys, letting you know now, we're about less than two hours away from the destination since we just crossed over into France. Expect drop off soon."_

The comms switched off as those who were asleep groggily woke up and the people who were awake, were either looking down at the floor or staring out the window. The tensions were once again high, because the moment they landed and got boots on the ground, there would almost be no way of turning around.

* * *

 **Time: 4:35 A.M.**

It was still relatively dark out as Girard was in the master bedroom of the chalet looking over maps and diagrams that outlined France, with a cigarette dangling in his mouth. On his sides were his two most trusted lieutenants that stood at the ready with their MP5s. Soon enough, one of the other White Masks came jogging into the room.

"Girard."

Jourdain looked up from the papers at the young member, drawing the cigarette out of his mouth.

"Qu'Est-ce que c'est?" **(What is it?)**

"J'ai entendu des sons d'un hélicoptère qui volait. Je ne suis pas sûr si c'était militaire ou civil." **(I heard the sounds of a helicopter flying by. I'm not sure if it was military or civilian.)**

Jourdain flicked his hand at the young member, using it as a signal to send him off.

"Ce sont seulement des touristes. Tu t'inquiètes trop Olivier." **(It's only tourists. You worry too much Olivier.)**

The young Olivier looked at the two lieutenants and they nodded in agreement with Jourdain. Slumping his shoulders, he walked out of the room, dragging his feet. After seeing that Olivier was now gone, Jourdain put the cigarette back in mouth as he continued to look over the papers that lay before him. He had been up all night trying to decide on a course of action on where to strike next in the country.

"Je ai besoin d'un verre…" **(I need a drink…)**

Meanwhile, the helicopter that had flown overhead was now landing in a nearby forest clearing. The seven Rainbow members quietly climbed out of the helicopter and once they were all out, it immediately took off into the air once more and kept flying in the same general direction until it was out of sight. The seven huddled about to quickly discuss what their course of action would be.

"Alright, we already know that we have a hike to do but the real question is how do we breach into the chalet?" Sledge asked.

Storm pulled out a map that showed the layout of the two floors of the building.

"There are a lot of entry points to choose from. The windows for instance, the garages, and usual doorways that are available. Our best bet though before entering, would be locating where Girard is hiding in the building," Storm responded.

"Right then. Ryad, gonna be counting on you with that Eyenox of yours to help track Girard throughout the building. Yumi, use your X-KAIROS as seen fit. Eliza, tactically breach spots that would be beneficial for us to move throughout the building. Timur, provide fire from outside the building. Aiden, just do you. Taina and I will be sweeping the perimeter while you lot are inside. Once it's been established that the place is secure, we'll move in. Everyone clear on that?"

Everyone nodded in response to the Scotsman's orders.

"Let's get moving then, and let's try to execute this quick."

Immediately everyone started running in the general direction of the chalet. Three klicks wasn't that far of trek, but on the body, it felt like it. Going through a wooded area, controlled by the enemy less, definitely seemed like a reckless idea, but with it being still being the early hours of the morning, there wasn't anyone on watch to patrol through it. After about a half hour run, they finally came across the opening in which the chalet lay before them. Vehicles were parked all across the entryway, and rushing over, they took cover behind most of them in order to avoid early detection.

"Everyone remember the plan?" Sledge questioned.

Everyone else nodded, and Sledge gave the signal to disperse as they all ran to different spots of the building. Storm and Ash went left, Glaz took up post in a tower to survey the outside of the building, and Jackal and Hibana went to the right side by the snowmobile garage.

"Tim, make sure you alert us of any tangos that are walking out into the open and also patrolling the perimeter," Sledge stated through the comms.

"Roger," Glaz responded.

Slowly, he kept doing semi-circle sweeps, his flip sight on the entire time while keeping his finger ready on the trigger. Meanwhile, Ash and Storm were making their way over towards the lower doorway that was by the car garage. Both leaned themselves against opposite sides of the doorway, and Storm instinctively whipped his whole self into the doorway, his rifle aimed at whatever may lay in his path. Signaling to Ash, the two continued to move through and they maneuvered their way through the garage with relative ease and out into the hallway. Near the base of the stairs, Storm signaled for her to crouch low as he did the same. From his belt, he took hold of one of the drones he had and set it down on the floor.

"Droning."

Moving the drone forward, he turned it to look up the set of stairs that was nearby, and turned it back around once the coast was clear. Moving into the next room, which was a wine cellar of sorts, he carefully navigated his way through the cellar, even checking the side room. Once he confirmed it was clear, he moved into the next small room, which was easily clear, but when he got to the garage, that's when he came across them: White Masks.

"Got two….three tangos in snowmobile garage. Careful entering through there Ryad, Yumi," he stated.

"Gotcha. Yumi, you want me to breach it, or do you want to blow holes in it?" Jackal asked.

"I'll leave it up to you with the charges," she responded.

Smirking, Jackal tip-toed his way up to the garage door, quietly placing the charge on the door as Hibana ducked behind one of the snowmobiles outside, with Jackal joining her soon after. Thumb on the trigger, he pushed down on it, and the charge immediately blew a huge opening in the door, garnering the surprise of the three Masks inside. From behind the snowmobile, both Hibana and Jackal stood up from their cover and unloaded lead rain onto them. Within seconds, the three dropped to the floor, blood rapidly covering the floor. Up above, there was rapid chatter and soon enough there were the loud sounds of footsteps rushing down into the garage.

"We're gonna need some assistance…" Jackal radioed.

"Eliza, watch the stairs," Storm commanded as he crouch ran into the wine cellar.

Taking her position at the stairs, Storm quickly moved his way through the wine cellar and into the small room next to the garage. He leaned to his left, giving himself an angle into the room as he aimed his sights down on the stairs that lead directly down into the room. Four more Masks ran into the room, their SMGs ready at the hip, but before they had time to ready themselves, bullet rain greeted them as they ran in. Two of them immediately fell as the bullets tore into their chests, and the other two immediately hid behind the nearby wall. However, this cover proved to be ineffective, as Jackal and Hibana had the angle on them and fired upon them, splattering their blood across the wall as the bodies collapsed onto one another. Storm slowly moved into the room, holding his left hand up in a fist, signaling Jackal and Hibana to cease fire for the moment.

"Ryad, Yumi, take the near stairs. I'm gonna head up through the tunnel here. Eliza, start heading up those stairs. We'll regroup in dining room. Tim, how are the outsides looking?"

"Clear for now my friend."

Pressing forward, the four moved up their designated stairwells. Jackal and Hibana wound up in the main foyer of the chalet once they reached the top of theirs. Storm managed his way up the back stairs, and did a quick sweep of the two rooms to his left and right, both turning up clear. Moving his way into the bar, he noticed one of the Masks pouring himself a round of drinks. Drawing out his silenced pistol, he slowly moved his way up behind the the Mask member. Standing up he aimed the gun directly at the back of the man's head, inhaling a deep breath as the man tilted his head back for a drink. Before the liquor could even leave the glass, Storm pulled the trigger, rocketing the bullet through the man's skull, rendering him limp as he dropped to the floor as the glass landed back on the counter. Moving out, he regrouped with Hibana and Jackal. Ash had made it to the top of her stairs, sweeping the floor with her G36C aimed down the entire time. She immediately checked the other set of stairs that led up to the second floor, and thankfully no one was walk around at the top or coming down them. Slowly she moved herself into the small hallway that led to three different rooms. Opting for the furthest one first, she started making her way there, keeping low to the ground. From the kitchen however, she heard murmured voices, and instinctively she moved up to the near entrance of the room, and peered in. Five more White Masks were gathered around, frantically discussing what was happening inside the chalet.

"Qu'est-ce qui se passe?" **(What is happening?)**

"Girard a dit qu'il n'y avait que des touristes ici." **(Girard said there were only tourists here.)**

"Olivier, que penses-tu qu'il se passe?" **(Olivier, what do you think is going on?)**

Olivier could only shrug in response as he clutched his revolver at his side. The other Masks looked around in worry as they held their guns at the ready.

"Five Masks…..kitchen area," Ash whispered into her comm.

Taking in the response, Storm pointed in the direction of the dining room before signaling for Jackal and Hibana to follow him. The three quietly moved forward, low to the ground, their rifles aimed at the ready. Storm was the first to cross the entryway into the dining room, followed by Hibana. When Jackal entered, Olivier's gaze caught him and immediately he started screaming.

"Intruders!"

The other four Masks immediately whipped around, their guns at the ready as their fingers moved for the triggers. However, Storm and company were already at an advantage because they already their trigger fingers ready, and immediately they unloaded onto the group. Bullets flew across the room in what almost seemed like a black cloud, sparking constantly from the muzzle flashes as shots were traded. Hearing the commotion, Ash snuck into the kitchen behind the small group, and popping up from behind, she unloaded her clip into the swarm. The pinched attack caused mass confusion among the Masks and soon enough three were dead on the floor, their blood splattered on the wall and floor. One Mask was up against the wall, breathing heavy from bullet wounds dealt to his stomach, and Olivier was on the ground with his hands over his head as he laid among the dead bodies. As for Rainbow, Hibana had suffered two wounds to her shoulder, Jackal had been grazed on his right shoulder, and another bullet had gone through his left thigh. Storm, however, had taken most of the damage as he had two bullet wounds in his right shoulder, one in his abdomen, and another one had grazed his right thigh. All were breathing heavy, but the other White Mask was soon dropped dead after having his brains shot out by Ash's bullets. Olivier was still lying among the bodies, his revolver still in his hands as he covered his head. Soon after the firefight, Olivier found himself being dragged up to his feet by his collar as a blood driven Storm was staring daggers into him the entire way. Olivier could already feel himself starting to sweat as he struggled in the big man's grasp. He went to aim his revolver at him, but soon found the wind knocked out of him as Storm laid a brutal left hook into his rib cage, forcing him to drop the revolver. In haste, Jackal picked it up and stowed it on himself as all four of them were staring down the young Frenchman.

"Where. Is. Jourdain." Storm roughly asked.

"H-H-He's bedroom. Second floor."

"This correct?"

"Oui." **(Yes)**

Storm looked at all the others, before swinging another vicious left hook, slamming it into the side of Olivier's head. The impact made the young man crumple to the ground unconscious as he was now sprawled out onto the floor, the blood of the fallen Masks now staining his clothes.

"Ryad, tie him up. Eliza, Yumi, starting heading upstairs."

The two women nodded and immediately made their way for the stairs, while Jackal took out a pair of zip tie cuffs and immediately fastened them to Olivier's wrists, before propping him up in the corner of the room. Satisfied with the work, the two men started trailing behind the two women up onto the second floor of the building.

"That kid said Jourdain was up here. Ryad, time to use the Eyenox."

Nodding in agreement, Jackal flipped his Eyenox on and started scanning the floor for footprints. He immediately picked up the ones left by Olivier as they led downstairs into the dining room/kitchen area, but soon enough, he found footprints that led from the office room to their left, to the master bedroom at the end of the hallway. Scanning them, the results came back up with the name: Jourdain Girard.

"Can confirm, target is in master bedroom."

"Right then. Eliza, Yumi, breach in from the office here. Ryad, you're with me on attacking from the front," Storm ordered.

Shortly after, he contacted Sledge.

"Seamus, we're moving in on Girard. First floor is clear, so you and Taina should be able to enter the chalet no problem."

"Roger that."

Switching his comms off, he slowly made his way forward towards the doorway with Jackal trailing behind him every step of the way. Storm could feel the pain that was now surging through his abdominal area from the bullet he took. He knew there was nothing he could do for the time being, and ultimately he pushed forward, trying to block the pain from his mind. Crouching just outside the door, he radioed both Ash and Hibana.

"Fire when ready."

Shortly after, a noise similar to sizzling was heard in the master bedroom, garnering confused looks from Girard and his lieutenants as they looked towards the near wall. Just as the pellets were reaching their exploding point, Ash fired off her breaching round, burying it in the wall, and the entire wall was blown out by the combined explosions. While there attention was on the two women, Storm and Jackal immediately rushed inside the room with their pistols, unloading as quick as they could at the lieutenants. Before they even had a chance to turn, both of Girard's men collapsed to the ground, blood splattering from their heads as brain matter also exploded into a pink mass on the floor, leaving only Jourdain by himself. Confused and scared, he immediately started to scramble off the bed, but was quickly chased down by Storm and Jackal, both tackling Girard to the ground. Seizing the advantage, Storm quickly pushed himself up and dropped his knee into Girard's back, pinning the man to the ground as Jackal pulled out another pair of zip tie cuffs.

"Laisse-moi partir!" **(Let me go!)** Girard cried.

Pulling his arms together, Jackal hastily bound Girard's arms together with the cuffs and left him lying there, face down on the floor as Storm stood back up himself. From outside, both Sledge and Caveira had just scaled onto the balcony and walked into the room themselves.

"This the fucker we're looking for?" Sledge asked angrily.

"Indeed it is," Storm responded.

Grinning sadistically, Caveira pulled out her knife while Sledge unsheathed The Caber from his backside. Jourdain looked up at both of them in horror as Sledge grabbed him by the collar and they dragged him to the nearby bathroom.

"Aidez-moi, s'il vous plaît!" **(Help me, please!)** he cried.

The other four members looked on blankly, for they knew what was about to occur once Jourdain was fully dragged inside. Both Hibana and Jackal were now clutching at their injured shoulders, the pain now starting to surge through them as the adrenaline died down. As for Storm, he had himself sat up against the wall leading out to the balcony, a hand over his abdomen as he was breathing heavy from the wound. Ash, being the only unharmed one, immediately started radioing for assistance.

"Ash to Base, requesting medical assistance and extraction. I have three people with bullet wounds, one of which was a shot to the abdomen. To add,target man Jourdain Girard has been captured and is now being interrogated. Requesting assistance ASAP."

"Loud and clear, Eliza. French authorities have already been dispatched to your location, ETA thirty minutes. Just sit tight until they arrive, and tend to the wounded as need be," Thatcher responded.

She switched her comms off, before shooting a worrying look in Storm's direction. It was obvious enough just how much he was trying to fight the pain. Each breath was now slowed, and he was staring down at the ground, pressing on the wound to try and slow the bleeding.

"Aiden, let me help."

Crouching next to him, she carefully moved his hand off the wound, allowing for more blood to spill out of the open wound. She moved him slightly to see if their was exit wound on his back, which thankfully there was because that meant they wouldn't have to surgically remove it back at Hereford.

"Ryad, if you can, get me some water so I can treat Aiden's wound."

"On it amiga."

Moving towards the bathroom door, he carefully peeked inside, and what laid before made him suck his breath in. Jourdain had been heavily beaten to the point where his nose and mouth were bleeding, and his left eye was starting to swell from a punch that looked like it was well inflicted by Sledge. Caveira was currently on top of him, holding his head up by his hair, with her knife poised against his throat and Sledge was watching on, The Caber at the ready. Looking over, he took note of Ryad.

"What do you need mate?"

"Uh, a bowl of water. Eliza's trying to treat Aiden's wounds right now."

Sledge looked in the direction of Girard, who was trying his best to keep silent, but Caveira wasn't having it as she yanked on his hair, making him yelp in pain.

"Best you tell him cadela," **(Bitch)** Caveira stated.

"I-I-In the cupboard beneath the sink," Girard muttered.

"Good boy," Caveira responded, throwing him back down to the ground.

Taking the notion, Jackal opened up the small pair of doors underneath the sink. Easily, he spotted a few large bowls, probably used for washing, stacked neatly on the left hand side. Taking one out, he placed it into the sink and turned the water on, letting it run. After a few moments when the bowl was filled about three-fourths of the way, he turned the water off and started to carry it back out to Ash. Crouching down next to the pair, he set the bowl next to Ash and gave a reassuring pat on Storm's shoulder before he went back to tending to his own wounds. Taking a rag from her back pocket, she dipped it into the bowl, soaking it before applying it to Storm's abdomen.

"Sorry if this hurts….."

The moment the moist rag made contact with the wound, Storm immediately felt like someone was burning his insides. He wrenched in pain, almost tempted to start kicking his legs around in pain, but he managed to keep himself composed, inhaling and exhaling through gritted teeth.

"It's okay Aiden, I'm right here with you."

Gently, she took his hand in hers, rubbing her thumb over the top of his hand. The same method he used to calm her on the flight in. He squeezed her hand, out of assurance, but also out of security as he continued to struggle against the pain. He could feel himself on the brink of screaming like a madman, but he kept fighting the urge. Suddenly, Glaz started reporting through the comms.

"My friends, there are sirens blaring not too far from here. ETA ten minutes at most judging by the distance of the sound."

"It's the authorities, Tim. They'll be here to help," Hibana responded.

Reaching for her belt, Hibana pulled a small roll of gauze bandages. Giving it a bit of slack, she slowly started to bandage her shoulder and Jackal did the same to his. Meanwhile, Ash removed the rag from the wound and soaked the bloody rag in the water, ridding of any excess blood, before applying it again to Storm. Minutes later, there were sounds of footsteps echoing from the hallway. Everyone inside looked up at the doorway, and in came GIGN members, followed by a few police officers trailing behind them. Three of the GIGN moved toward Storm, one with a medkit in hand and Ash backed away in order to let them work. Two other GIGN members were inspecting the wounds inflicted to Jackal and Hibana, with Jackal getting a bandage wrapped around his thigh in order to cover the wound from earlier. One of the officers stepped forward from the doorway, looking around the area as if searching for something.

"Girard?" he asked.

Soon after asking the name, the bathroom door swung open and out collapsed Jourdain Girard. Bruises were littered across his face and his left eye had now swollen shut. The blood that was streaming from his nose and mouth earlier had now crusted on his lips and chest. Caveira unaffectedly looked down at the beaten Frenchman, giving him a solid kick to the ribs while Sledge approached the French officer.

"Seamus Cowden. S.A.S member of Team Rainbow."

The two shook hands as the officer continued to look on at the beaten Girard.

"Petrus Deveraux. Mr. Baker informed us earlier about you folks being here and we came to confirm that Girard had been captured. I assume you and your partner got whatever information you needed from him?"

"Indeed we did…" Caveira devilishly stated, planting a foot on Girard's back.

Petrus took an extra step away from Caveira's direction before rerouting his focus to Storm, who was still struggling with the pain he was dealing with.

"How hurt is he?"

"Bullet to the abdominal area. He's been managing, but it hasn't been easy," Ash replied.

"I see...I'll offer you this: We'll bring him to the hospital here in Courchevel. The day after, we'll transfer him over to Paris and have him recover there. Once he's in a better state, we'll send him back to base. That work for you?"

"Lemme talk to the boss…" Sledge muttered as he turned his comms on, "Sledge to Thatcher, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear."

"Storm was injured during the attack on the chalet. Bullet wounds to the shoulder and also suffered one to the abdomen. I'm with officer Deveraux and he's offering to keep Storm in Courchevel for the night and then transfer him to Paris to allow him to fully recover before returning to Hereford. Are you ok with this, sir?"

"As long as he gets back to base in one piece, I'm fine with it."

"Right then, Sledge out."

Turning his comms off, he gave the nod of approval to Petrus who turned to the rest of his men.

"Obtenez l'homme préparé pour le transport. Nous l'amenons à l'hôpital." **(Get the man prepped for transport. We're bringing him to the hospital.)**

The three GIGN members that were treating Storm nodded in response as they went about finishing their work. The remaining police officers rushed out of the room to get the ambulance ready that was waiting outside while the GIGN members helped Storm stand up on his feet, his midsection and lower back now covered with a white bandage. Each step was excruciatingly painful for Storm, but he managed to push on with the assistance from the men helping him walk. The others watched on from the room as Petrus addressed them again.

"By the way, we found the man that you had tied up in the dining room. He'll be brought in for questioning alongside Jourdain. Aside from that, my question is this: Do you plan to stay with your squadmate the entire time he's recovering, or are all of you returning to base?"

"Protocol does require that at least one other operator stay with a member if they are injured and are being treated off base…" Sledge recalled.

"I'll stay," Ash hastily replied.

"Well that takes care of that," Sledge responded.

Petrus nodded along, motioning for Ash to follow him.

"Just follow us back to the convoy. We'll ensure your transportation and put in a word for you folks to be brought back to your base tomorrow. We'll make sure that Monsieur Storm there is well treated and sees a full recovery. You have my word on that."

Pulling Girard up off the ground, Caveira shoved him toward the doorway.

"Walk."

Petrus lead the way out of the chalet,with Jourdain right behind him, followed by Caveira with her pistol aimed at his back, followed by the rest of the squad. Outside, the three GIGN were still doing their best to help guide Storm toward the ambulance that awaited them. Ash broke off from the group to help out, with Petrus following suit. Everyone else climbed into the back of the armored vehicles that the GIGN had brought with them and soon enough, Storm was loaded up into the ambulance, sitting on one of the small benches that were there with Ash taking the spot right next to him, and Petrus sat across from them. The GIGN group jumped out of the vehicle and shut the doors, before patting the ambulance to give it the signal to start leaving while they went back to their respective vehicles and started getting ready to depart themselves as the ambulance pulled away from the chalet.

Inside the ambulance, Storm instinctively reached for Ash's hand, intertwining his fingers with hers which made her scoot closer to him. Gently, she rested her head on his good shoulder and he returned the gesture. She could still hear how heavy his breathing was, but it was more controlled now compared to earlier when it almost sounded panicked. Drawing her head back, she turned her gaze up to him, something he returned as he still had to look down at her. He could still sense the worry in her eyes, but he could also detect how content she was with the fact that the wound wasn't life threatening. This time however, she took the initiative, leaning in and pressing her lips against his. It didn't last as long as the last one, but to her it still felt necessary to do that, not only out of love, but out of assurance. Storm was visibly blushing from the affection, but he understood why she did it as he kissed her back in response.

Despite all the the hell they had been through, they were making it out alive and so was everyone else. His return to combat wasn't the best he had hoped for, but at least the mission was a success as both Jourdain and Olivier were now in custody. His main focus now was to rest and recover, and in due time make it back out onto the battle lines of Team Rainbow.


	7. Chapter 7: A Fire Flower's Wish

**Author's Note: Look a high, look a stern, it's Chapter 7! Been hard at work on this one, and this time had a buddy of mine proofread it in order to insure that the final product came out looking crisp. Figure I set this in stone as well: For Chapters, expect one every week that will be posted no later than Friday each week. Anyways, not much else to tell except that Chapter 8 will be posted during the week of Thanksgiving :D So I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving (For those who celebrate it) and until then, I'll catch you all later when Chapter 8 is posted :)**

* * *

 _May 24, 2018_

 **Location: Paris, France**

 **Time: 6:40 A.M.**

It had been an excruciating time for Storm as he spent the entire past two weeks in hospital. The good news at least was that his wound had mended itself enough to the point where he could walk around without any aid, which was a major sign of improvement. Ash had been staying at a nearby hotel in order to keep watch over Storm, for two reasons: One, because protocol called for it, and two, it was her boyfriend that had to stay back in France so why wouldn't she be the one to stay with him? Today though, both had to be up early since it was the day that Storm was getting discharged from the hospital, and both were relatively happy about it as it meant that they could soon return to Hereford and resume their usual lives. Inside, Ash was standing at Storm's bedside while he was sat up in his bed, the lower portion of his torso covered the entire way around and his right shoulder was still heavily bandaged. They were joined by three doctors who were doing final routine evaluations on Storm in order to ensure that he was all set to go.

"Well, everything seems to check out Monsieur Mitchell. Vitals are good, blood pressure's good, and the wound has been healing nicely. I think it's safe to say that you're free to go Aiden."

The other two doctors nodded in agreement, and approval. Ash smiled in response as Storm lightly chuckled, stretching his body forward.

"Our only advice is to avoid physical activity for at least the next two weeks in order to avoid reopening the wound. Only exceptions would be weights, jogging, and stretching, but only arm and leg stretches. Things to avoid would be doing anything that involves working the abs such as crunches, or other activity such as the kind with your lady friend…."

Ash's face visibly went red, which earned a laugh from Storm as the other doctors laughed along with him.

"We're not that deep in our relationship. I mean, we've only been together for almost a month now," Storm replied.

"And a very nice couple you two make," the eldest doctor noted, "Alright then, we can get the papers ready for you to be discharged and feel free to change into the clothing that Mr. Baker sent in for you. He said it was something that fit your style."

The trio of doctors left as Storm looked over at the pile of clothes that was left for him. They weren't kidding when they said the clothing fit his style as it just consisted of a simple black t-shirt, some jeans, and a pair of navy blue runners. Carefully, he slipped out of the bed and grabbed the clothing. Taking the hospital gown off, he immediately slipped the jeans on first before turning back around in the direction of Ash as he went to go put the shirt on. Immediately she took note of the bandage that was over the scarring wound that was now on Storm's abdomen as he pulled the rest of the shirt down on his torso.

"Bet you'll be excited to share the story of how you earned that scar," Ash laughed.

"Eh, it'll have its moment," he noted.

Finishing the process of dressing himself, Storm looked around to see that he still had everything on himself from when he got there. Content, he rolled his shoulders and neck gingerly about as a means to loosen himself up, exhaling a relaxed sigh.

"Feels good to start moving about on my own again. Shit was making me stiff as hell," he groaned.

"At least you're walking again," Ash happily said with a smile.

The trio of doctors returned with the eldest one carrying a stack of papers in hand.

"Everything's been handled Aiden. Hope everything works out well for you in the end."

The three departed once more, leaving Storm and Ash by themselves once more as Storm went about stretching his arms while Ash came around to his side of the bed as he let out a yawn.

"Just wish this didn't have to happen so early. The pain made it extremely hard to sleep the past few days," he said through gritted teeth wincing as if feeling the pain all over again.

"I can imagine. Be thankful that you'll have plenty of time to rest back at base so it heals properly. Don't want your condition to be any worse."

"I'll be fine Eliza. I mean all I do when not training or exercising is just lounging about in my room or in the rec room," he replied, shrugging.

Ash giggled at his response as he pulled her close to him in a warm embrace. To him, it felt like an eternity since he last felt her touch, but it was absolute bliss to be in contact with the one he loved. He couldn't remember the last time in his life that he felt this way about someone, but he was content with who it was in his life.

"Let's get going. We got a ride to catch that'll be here in a half hour," Ash stated.

The statement only made Storm hug her more tightly.

"Mm, okay. Wish we could just stay like this a bit longer though," he responded softly.

"We will back at Hereford, Aiden, c'mon now," she giggled.

Slightly pulling away from the embrace, Storm leaned down, planting another kiss on Ash's lips which garnered another giggle from her as the two started to make their way for the exit. He was thankful for the woman that had come into his life because she was giving him something that most hadn't in his life before: and that was support. Ash made him feel wanted, and so did the rest of Team Rainbow, but Ash was the exceptional one because she was his, and he was hers.

* * *

 **Location: Hereford Base, Herefordshire, UK**

 **Time: 11:50 A.M.**

The helicopter ride back to base had been a bit of a pain as the wound area had started to hurt again because of the way Storm was sitting, but thankfully the ride wasn't too too long. The landing had been relatively smooth and as the two stepped out, there was the group of Buck, Thermite, Echo, and Hibana, whose shoulder was still slightly bandaged up. All four seemed to have relieved looks on their faces as the duo made their way towards them.

"Thank Christ you guys are okay…" Thermite breathed.

"Why wouldn't we be okay?" Ash questioned.

"You two didn't return with the others, and we heard you ended up staying back in France from what Yumi told us. Thought you guys had been critically wounded."

"Jordan, you can relax. It was a simple bullet to the abdomen and I'm walking away from it fine. Nothing to be worried about," Storm added.

"You say that, but it could've ended up much worse!" Thermite shouted.

"Jordan, please, relax," Hibana chimed. "Aiden's well, and not severely hurt. He's back here safe."

Thermite looked as if he was ready to go off, but ultimately restrained himself at the words of Hibana. Buck and Echo also looked at the ready to seize Thermite if he tried anything that would be volatile. Instead of saying more, Thermite turned away from the group and headed back towards the main building, the essence of anger clearly radiating from him. A heavy sigh came from Storm as he watched on.

"His anger is understandable…" he noted.

"How?" Buck questioned.

"Think about it Sebastien. A new recruit gets thrown into a dangerous and risky mission literally within his first two weeks on base. Guy comes out of it injured and has to be away from base in order to heal. How could you not be angry at that?"

"I see your point…"

Buck folded his arms over his chest as he let out a defeated sigh. Meanwhile Ash directed her attention over to Hibana, who was still somewhat favoring her shoulder.

"How's the shoulder holding up Yumi?"

"Could be better. Can't really move it around too much otherwise it'll just hurt like hell. Gustave said that the pain should eventually subside completely over the next several days."

"That's good to hear. And as for Ryad?"

"Elena's been tending to him as need be."

Hibana turned her attention over to Storm, and she could feel a shiver run down her spine as she met his gaze. Ever since meeting him over two weeks ago, she's always felt intimidated by his presence.

"How's the wound?"

"Doctors said it'll heal, but it will definitely scar over. Other than that, doesn't look like I'll be suffering from any complications, which I'm thankful for."

Underneath his shirt, there was still the slight bulge from the bandage that covered the lower half of his torso as it covered both wounds. The bandages he wore had to be changed several times when he was first there in hospital as the bleeding was quite profuse, but after the third or fourth day, it seemed to stabilize and soon enough the bandages were being changed less and less. The bleeding was the least of his issues, as the pain that surged through him was what caused him to be in such a state that he may as well have been labeled a madman with all the screams he was making when he was in Paris. Through the silence, Storm's eyes seemed to wander for a bit until they suddenly rested on something that was creeping up on the group…. _specifically_ creeping up on Hibana. He turned his attention toward Buck, who nodded his head back at him, signaling he knew what was up. Moments later, a pair of hands seized Hibana's side, making her jump in surprise and shock.

"EEEYAAAAA!"

Everyone around was trying to hold their laughter in as Hibana instinctively whipped around and was met by the mischievous smile of Caveira. It hadn't been the first time Cav had done to this her, and quite frankly, it happened way too often for Hibana's liking as her face was now about as bright as her X-KAIROS pellets.

"I swear to God one of these days I'm going to slap you for all this…" she stammered.

"You can try Yumi, but I'm too agile for you," Cav chided, sticking her tongue out at Hibana.

"Nan demo…" **(Whatever)** she responded. "Now what is it you want to discuss this time? Normally when you do this, there's something you want to talk about Taina."

"You know what it is Yumi," Caveira smirked.

"Not this again…" Hibana sighed.

"Not what again?" Storm questioned.

"Oh y'know, just Yumi's cr-"

Before Caveira could finish her statement, Hibana instinctively covered her mouth with her hand as she shot her a daring glare.

"Yumi's what?"

"Yumi's crush on Jordan," Buck finished, slightly smirking.

"Fuck's sake Sebastien…"

Hibana's shoulders slumped in defeat at the mention of it as both Buck and Caveira were both laughing to themselves. Storm and Ash looked on a bit bewildered, but were somehow able to gauge the situation. Echo gave his fellow SAT member a supportive pat on the good shoulder.

"What's the big deal about it? It's normal for one to have feelings for someone," Storm noted, slightly pulling Ash close to him. "I mean, just look at me and Eliza. Speaking of couples, Masa, how's the reconciling with Siu going?"

"It's getting there. Still taking the time to open up," he responded.

"At least progress is being made."

Echo nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Hibana was still standing there with her shoulders slumped as Caveira was still chuckling at her embarrassment.

"Yumi, how long have you have had feelings for Jordan?" Ash chirped.

"Umm….."

The question completely caught her off guard as she stood there, now rendered speechless. Caveira still had an amused look on her face while Buck couldn't also help but smirk at the situation. Echo shook his head in disbelief with Storm doing the same. Ash turned her attention towards Storm, stretching herself up to his ear.

"Would it be okay if you take Seb and Masa away for a bit? I think Yumi needs some girl talk time with me and Taina," she whispered.

"Yeah, of course," Storm replied.

Turning towards Ash, Storm kissed her cheek before walking towards Buck and Echo.

"Guys, let's go find Mark. I'm in the mood for some pool right now."

"I swear I won't mess up my shots this time," Echo said with some competitive determination.

"If you say so Masa," Buck chuckled.

The three lead themselves away, while chatting about their terrible pool skills, from the three women who were now closely grouped together, Hibana's face still flushed red with Caveira now settling down from laughter.

"Alright Yumi, you're safe to tell us now. The boys are gone," Ash stated with sincerity.

"Uh...um…."

Ash could tell that she was still uneasy with speaking since the secret had been somewhat exposed by Caveira and Buck. Reassuringly, Ash gave her a side hug to make her feel more at ease.

"It's okay Yumi, your secret will be safe with me. Unlike others…."

She shot a glance at Caveira, who shrugged at her in response.

"Well…..if I'm being honest…...I guess it started when I was recruited into Rainbow. I know we previously met in Jordan during a conference of sorts. He was the one who helped me develop the X-KAIROS and I was appreciative of it."

"He's told me the story before of you two meeting. Said you were the type that Six would like to have be apart of the team."

"That's how I got recruited. He recommended me to Six and before I knew it, I ended up here at Hereford. It's just….his character and personality are…"

"Sexy?" Caveira giggled.

"Taina, please," Ash sighed in exasperation.

"Alright, I'll stop."

The Brazilian woman put her hands up by her chest as if surrendering, to which Ash rolled her eyes at before returning her attention to Hibana.

"You were saying Yumi."

"His qualities are just…..amazing. Every aspect he possess just makes him be that heroic, trustworthy man we have on the team. Just seeing him again, I almost wanted to leap into his arms to hug him. I was just really happy to see Jordan again."

"That's understandable Yumi. I mean, how do you think I felt when Aiden got out of the hospital today? I wanted to just hug him for as long as I could. You don't have to feel embarrassed, it's normal to get those kinds of feelings. Cheer up buttercup."

Ash hugged her more as Hibana let out a relaxed sigh.

"I just don't know how to go about it…" Hibana's voice trailed off.

Ash hugged Hibana once more, lending her some comfort. Meanwhile Caveira was casually spinning her knife about in her hand as she listened on.

"Just relax and give it time Yumi. You'll know when the opportunity presents itself."

"I don't know Eliza…"

"Not to be rude, but if you two aren't done, I'm heading off. Getting hungry over here," Caveira chirped.

Both Ash and Hibana let out simultaneous sighs at the comment.

"We'll talk more about it later Yumi. Taina is right though, food does sound good right now and I haven't eaten since last night."

Nodding in agreement, the three started making their way back the main building. The conversation had been somewhat progressive for the time being, but Ash knew that there was _a lot_ more to talk about regarding Hibana's feelings. She almost felt as if Hibana was unsure with her feelings to the point where she could blur the lines between friendship and wanting to be in a relationship. For now, food was the thing on her mind, the advice could wait and perhaps….Storm could help as well.

* * *

 **Time: 5:05 P.M.**

Storm was up in his room, lounging about in his chair at his desk as he looked around at his monitors, going around and clicking open different tabs and opening others here and there as if searching for something specific. Behind him, Echo was in his spare chair browsing through his phone, listening to Storm's ONE OK ROCK playlist with "CONVINCING" faintly playing through the speaker.

"I have to say Aiden, I didn't think you were a fan of Japanese rock bands. ONE OK ROCK is a fine example of a great Japanese band in this time and era."

"I got my dad to thank for introducing me to their music. I only used to listen to songs from their Zankyo Reference album and forward, but then I started to dig their old music."

A knock came at the door.

"Mind getting that Masa?"

"Yeah, I got it."

Standing up from his chair, Echo strided over to the door and pushed the handle down, pulling the door open. He was slightly surprised to see Ash, with Hibana just over her shoulder as they looked into the room.

"Hey Masa," Ash beamed.

"Hey. Come in."

The female duo made their way into the room, Hibana still somewhat visibly embarrassed from what happened earlier. Ash came up behind Storm's chair, gently wrapping her arms around his shoulders, to which he responded by putting a hand over her arms as a sign of mutual love. Echo pointed to Storm's bed, which Hibana took as a sign to sit down and Ash soon enough joined her. Eventually, Storm whirled around in his chair and wheeled himself over to Hibana and Ash, with Echo sitting right next to him.

"So, you ladies are here for something. What's up?" Storm questioned.

Ash lightly elbowed Hibana, trying to get her to speak up. She kept her silence though, glancing up at her SAT teammate for support, but Echo could only shrug in response. Storm briefly looked over at Echo and the two met one another's stare before giving simultaneous nods as they returned their attention to Ash and Hibana.

"Judging by Yumi's silence, it's somewhat obvious what you're here to discuss," Storm noted.

"That so?" Ash replied, slightly smiling.

"It's about what was mentioned earlier. The thing about Jordan."

Hibana's face was starting to go red again, but Ash gave her a reassuring pat on the back.

"What exactly do you need _us_ for?" Echo asked.

"It's simple really. The two of you would have an easier time talking to Jordan than say me or Yumi and plus you could find out more about him than we could because otherwise he'd think that we'd be hitting on him," Ash replied.

"But Eliza, you're in the same unit as him. How would it still be difficult, aside from the mistake of hitting on him?" Storm chirped.

"Just trust me on this Aiden."

Storm let out a deep sigh.

"Alright."

"It won't exactly be easy for us either. Jordan usually has himself occupied with other paperwork since he's one of the co-commanding officers with Mike. Trying to find time to talk with him could prove difficult," Echo added, "He isn't exactly Mr Free Time these days."

Ash couldn't even argue that fact. In the past several months, Thermite had been busier than ever with helping handling things on base. Originally, it was only Six and Thatcher's jobs to do so, but with the team ever growing, they needed an extra hand and Thermite was the one who lended them one. She sighed in defeat, realizing that the attempt might be somewhat futile.

"I can promise we'll talk with him when there's an opportunity. Right now though, I'm afraid he's too caught up with drawing up more training regiments and rumor has it that there's another mission that'll be taking place in the next few days, so he has to deal with that along with Thatcher." Echo said, sympathetic his squad member.

"The time will come at some point. We just don't know when," Storm added, reclining back in his chair.

"The sooner the better," Ash responded, flipping her braided ponytail over her shoulder.

Hibana was staring at the ground in silence during the whole conversation. The only thought that ran through her mind was this entire situation regarding Thermite. How would they approach it, what would the reaction be, what would…... _his_ response be. She clasped her hands behind her head, almost as if in an attempt to draw herself closer to the ground, but she kept herself upright as she let out a deep sigh. Storm and Echo exchanged looks at the sound of it, ultimately letting out simultaneous sighs themselves.

"We'll see about it getting to it sometime this week. No promises though," Storm sternly stated.

"As long as you guys try, it'll make Yumi here happy," Ash responded.

Both Storm and Echo nodded.

"Anyways, we're trusting you guys on this. Any other guys would be quietly spreading this like wildfire."

"Relax, we'll see it done when possible," Storm replied.

"I'm sure you two will," Ash remarked.

Standing up from her spot, she moved over to Storm, kissing him on the cheek before making her way for the door.

"You do know you owe us for this, right?" Storm called out.

"We'll sort something out," Ash responded.

Hibana soon followed Ash, and before the two guys knew it, they were out of the room, leaving just the two of them once more. Echo looked over at Storm with an expression of defeat.

"How the fuck do we pull this off?"

"No idea Masa, no idea. We only promised them because the two of us were the only ones that they can rely on for now. Talking to Jordan won't be easy like you said, but hopefully fate is on our side and gives an opportunity in the near future."

"Can only hope…"

Storm spun back around in his chair, and wheeled back over to his desk, once again facing his three monitors. Staring at them, he let out a deep sigh as the conversation was sitting in his mind. It was one thing to do a favor for someone, but to do something like helping them express their feelings was something that neither he nor Echo specialized in. They were just too introverted to really help in mannerisms like this, but it was reluctancy that drew them into the situation. Now, executing whatever they had in mind was a different matter, but they were determined to see it done and dealt with….

* * *

 _May 29, 2018_

 **Time: 7:50 P.M.**

It had been another exhausting day for Thermite as he dropped another stack of papers onto the corner of his desk. More plans were being drawn up, more training regiments and exercises for various squads, the whole lot. His arms and back ached from being hunched over, and his wrist killed from the constant writing and signatures he needed to do and honestly, he wasn't in the mood to do more….at least until tomorrow when everything wasn't sore. While he was organizing some loose papers, a knock came at his door...something he wasn't happy about as he let out an irritated sigh.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Jordan, you got a minute? It's Masaru."

Thermite was surprised to hear the voice of Echo at his door. Normally a man such as him would come nowhere near his room, especially at this time of day.

"Yeah, give me a sec…"

Exhausted, he pushed himself away from his desk and out of his chair, making his way towards the door. Hastily, he swung the door open, much to Echo's surprise as he stood with two cups in his hands.

"What's with the cups?"

"Figured you need a drink. It ain't coffee, before you even ask, it's tea."

He extended one of the cups towards Thermite, which the Texan carefully took in his hands. Stepping to the side, he motioned for Echo to enter, which the Japan native followed as he entered the room with the other cup in hand.

"You're clearly here for something Masa. What is it?"

"The mission that's been rumored about recently."

"Oh, that…"

Thermite pinched the bridge of his nose as let out an exhausted sigh.

"I'd be glad to talk to you about it, but honestly I just want to relax right now…"

"It doesn't have to be the full explanation Jordan. Just outline it for me if you would."

Sighing, Thermite slowly made his way back to his chair, dropping himself into it as he took a sip of his tea.

"We've been getting intel from Russian authorities that there's a shipment of biohazardous material being shipped to and from a cafe in Moscow. Dostoyevsky if I recall correctly. Anyways, they basically want us to stop the component from being shipped by water at the river docks by the foot of the cafe. It'd be another night time mission since the cafe operates as normal during the day."

Finishing his statement, Thermite started to take note of the taste and aftertaste of the tea Echo brought him. He blankly looked back at his cup, staring down at the liquid that was still warm to the touch.

" _Why does this taste so familiar?"_ he thought.

"Any idea as to who would be on the team to undertake this mission?"

"Originally, I was thinking of putting Yumi on the list, but with her still recovering from injury, I scrapped her. However, I am planning to send in Shuhrat, Emma, Sebastien, and Vicente for this one."

"Who would be the fifth then?"

"I was discussing that question earlier with Mike and Six earlier today. It's obvious enough that we do need someone who can destroy reinforced metal, but Aiden and Yumi are both in the recovery phase from the operation in Courchevel. Ultimately, I might be sent in myself."

Silence quickly filled the gap between the two as Echo blankly looked on, almost stunned by Thermite's answer. Averting his eyes, he took a sip from his own cup as he looked toward the far corner of the room.

"Was this discussed with Mike or did you decide this yourself Jordan?"

"I decided myself. Mike knows me well enough to know when I'm gonna throw myself into the field….shit, where have I tasted this before?"

Thermite took a long drink from his cup as he was still trying to determine the origins of the tea that Echo had given him. He sat there for a long moment, numerous thoughts swirling around in his head, all the while Echo was laughing at the Texan's confusion.

"You really want to know who made the tea?"

"Just tell me. I can't figure it out for my life."

"Yumi made it. It's a simple tea she made and all she did was add some mint to it in order to make the taste better."

"That's why it seemed familiar….the mint taste to it…..I remember she used to bring me this a lot when I was sick. Said it always helped with clearing my airways."

Echo chuckled.

"Maybe you ought to thank her again for making you this. I'm sure she'd appreciate the compliment."

"Yeah, but perhaps tomorrow. Honestly I'm exhausted as all hell right now and my fucking back kills. There's been a shit ton of paperwork to deal with recently and I'm just not in the mood to put up with this crap much longer."

"What's it all for anyway?"

Thermite grabbed the top paper from the stack and handed it off to Echo. The Japan native's eyes went wide at the sight of the header.

"New recruits?! Aiden hasn't been here a month and we're already getting more newcomers?"

Thermite shrugged.

"They're not really 'new' per se because rumor is that the three listed there have already been with Team Rainbow for some time now. They're just stationed elsewhere, and the location….I don't know about it and neither does Mike. Only Six knows where those three are located as we speak."

Echo handed the paper back to Thermite as he then went about scratching his head at the news.

"Why keep it a secret from us though?"

"This is Six we're talking about Masaru. She can be open at times, and other times she can be really solitary and confidential."

"Yeah, you're right…"

Thermite downed the rest of the contents in his cup, placing it back down on his desk carefully as he reclined back in his chair. Letting out a massive yawn, he folded his arms over his chest as he stared up at the ceiling with Echo now leaned up against the wall by the door.

"By the way, Masa…"

"Hm?"

"How is Yumi holding up?"

"Injury wise, her shoulder's getting there. I would say she's just about in the late stages of recovery since she's got more range of motion with it now. If you're asking in general though, she's doing fine as always."

"Good…..that's good."

Echo could easily detect just how tired Thermite was by the sound of his voice and how he almost seemed to be fighting the urge to fall asleep as he continued to look up at ceiling. After a few more minutes passed, Echo thought he started to hear light snoring in the room. Looking towards Thermite, he noticed that he had his hands clasped over his chest and was pretty much passed out in his chair, finally succumbing to his fatigue as he snoozed.

" _Taking this as the cue to leave. Man does need his rest…"_ Echo thought.

Quietly and carefully, he opened the door as he did his best to tip-toe out of Thermite's room and into the empty corridor. Gently closing the door, he let out a relaxed breath as he turned around…

"Masa."

His name being called somewhat startled him as he looked up at Storm, who was more or less towering over him.

"How'd it go in there?"

"Went good….I think."

"Well, what went right?"

Echo shuffled his way away from the big man so he could lean up against the wall.

"He recognized the tea that I brought him. Told him that it was Yumi's making and also he asked how she was doing. I think he misses spending time with her ever since his workload started to pile up."

"I see...and the mission?"

"He's apparently throwing himself into the fray. I don't know when it's happening, but he'll be headed to Moscow at some point by the sound of it."

Storm's eyes slightly widened at the finding.

"Interesting….so he'll be doing some field work soon then…"

"Yeah. Another rumor I got from him is that there are three other members of Rainbow stationed somewhere in the world right now. Apparently they've already been part of the team for several months, but no one knows their exact location except for Six."

"How'd you stumble upon that?"

"Jordan showed me some of the documents he had on his desk. The top one held some information regarding them."

Storm rested his chin in between his fore finger and thumb, a puzzled expression as he thought over the information, but ultimately he shook his head, waving his hand about.

"None of our concern for the time being. The main matter is that Jordan will actually be going out onto the field. That kinda fucks up the task we were given…"

"To a degree, yes. However, most of the talking part has been taken care of. It's just a matter of getting those two alone with one another and seeing how things take off from there."

Storm raised a hand to his forehead, sighing.

"Why did we agree to do this again…"

"You were the one who accepted, weren't you?"

"I have no further comment."

Echo laughed at the misfortune of the former PMC, to which Storm rolled his eyes at in response.

"Anyways, I'm sure there's something we can figure out. For now though, we already got one task done. Worry about the rest later."

"I'm with ya on that Aiden."

Pushing himself away from the wall, Echo started to go stride for stride with Storm as they made their way down the corridor. To them, a lot had been accomplished in their task of helping out, but what was to be done next, they didn't know how to plan for it. Too many variables clouded their thinking, and to put more thought into it would only hurt their brains. Ultimately, the two remained silent as they returned to their separate rooms, each content with the night's progress.

* * *

 _May 31,2018_

 **Time: 12:55 P.M.**

"Shuhrat, if you do not get your ass up and out of your room now, I swear to God I'll have Seamus knock this door down with The Caber!"

Thatcher was loudly banging on Fuze's door constantly screaming as Thermite, Twitch, Buck, and Capitao were all against the far wall, watching on.

"He never learns when to stop drinking does he?" Buck questioned.

"If he didn't stop after the first ten hangovers, I doubt he would stop now," Capitao noted.

Thatcher continued to bang on the door as the entire squad continued to look on in bewilderment. Eventually, the door slowly creaked open and Fuze's face was somewhat visible through the opening.

"I would advise that you don't pound my door. Makes my hangover worse…" Fuze mumbled groggily.

Thatcher could only stare daggers at him before grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and pulling him out of his room and releasing him into the open corridor before the other four.

"Jesus, Mike relax. What's the rush?" Fuze questioned.

"The rush? Shuhrat, there was a goddam bloody briefing at ten this morning for tonight's mission in Moscow. There's a reason why we enlisted you for this mission because you know the place that you and the rest of the team are headed," Thatcher angrily replied.

Fuze awkwardly scratched the back of his head as he looked over at the others, and then back at Thatcher.

"Ehm….what place is it again?"

"Oh for fuck's sake Shuhrat….."

The eldest S.A.S member facepalmed at the question while there was a mix of agitated groans from the other four.

"It's Kafe Dostoyevsky that we're headed to Shuhrat," Thermite added.

"Ohhhh, that place. Right, gotcha," Fuze responded, either nodding along or nodding off once more.

"Is it even worth my time briefing him on the fucking mission?" Thatcher asked, ready to pummel Fuze.

"I'll tell him all about it on the way to Moscow, Mike," Thermite replied trying to defuse the situation.

Thatcher nodded in approval, before marching away from the group of five as he continued to mutter about Fuze's irrational behavior. The other four members continued to stare down the Spetsnaz member as he let out a large yawn before heading back into his room.

"Someone wake me up when it's time to leave," he noted.

He closed the door behind him, leaving the other four stunned at the sight as they exchanged baffled looks with one another.

"Makes me tempted to leave his sorry behind here…" Twitch muttered.

"I wouldn't put it past you Emma," Buck responded, chuckling.

Moving themselves from the wall, the four splintered off into their own directions. Capitao ultimately made his way back to his own room, most likely to get his thing sorted out early. Twitch wandered about through the corridor, as if looking for one of her fellow GIGN teammates, to which she ultimately found Rook and Montagne chatting about Jourdain Girard's capture from weeks ago. Buck made his way up to the second floor and soon enough found himself stood in front of Storm's door. Before he could even knock, the door swung open, Storm standing before him with a look of determination.

"Going somewhere?" Buck questioned.

"Just follow me," Storm replied.

Making their way back down to the first floor, Storm casually looked around the corridor, evidently scanning for someone or something.

"A-ha…"

His gaze focused onto Thermite, who was walking off in the direction of Doc's office at the end of southern half of the first floor. Storm immediately started to hustle after him with Buck in close pursuit. They watched as Thermite rounded the corner and Storm pressed himself up against the wall, with Buck doing the same, but with a look of confusion.

"What are we doing exactly?" Buck whispered.

"Just wait."

Slowly, the two crept up to where the walls formed the corner and Storm peered around it, continuing to watch Thermite walk down the corridor, just about meeting at Doc's office. At the same time, Hibana exited Doc's office, with Doc audibly calling out from inside.

"Should be all healed by the end of the weekend Ms. Imagawa! Just put ice on it when need be!"

She shut the door behind her, and Thermite stood before her casually looking on, slightly smiling at the sight.

"Hey Yumi."

She could feel herself somewhat blushing at the sight of Thermite, but she managed to compose herself.

"Hey Jordan…"

"How's your injury?"

"Better compared to when I first had it. Bandages are finally off."

"That's good to hear."

Hibana kept looking Thermite up and down as she gauged his body language. She could tell he seemed to be in a rush for something.

"Am I delaying you from going somewhere Jordan?"

"What? No, not at all. I already had a morning briefing about tonight's mission so I don't really have anything going on until when I need to leave."

"You're headed out into the field? Where to?"

"Moscow. Some cafe that Shuhrat knows is apparently expecting a shipment of biohazardous material and the authorities obviously don't want it shipped anywhere else so they called us in to secure it for them and prevent it from being moved."

"Sounds simple."

"It does, but getting inside will be the hard part."

The thought of the tea from last night suddenly crossed his mind.

"Oh, by the way, thanks for the tea last night. Masaru brought me a cup of it when I was done with the day's paperwork."

Hibana blushed at the compliment, averting her gaze to the floor.

"It's no big deal…"

Thermite chuckled at her embarrassment as she stared down at the ground. Meanwhile Storm and Buck looked on with curiosity from the behind the corner point.

"Christ….this is like some anime type of shit right now…" Storm muttered.

"Just hope it plays out the way she wants," Buck stated.

Storm nodded along, his eyes still focused on the two as they were sharing a laugh with one another. He couldn't help but smile himself at the sight, pleased with the progress that had been made so far.

" _Just a matter of when she pops the question now…"_ he thought.

After a few moments passed, Thermite looked at his watch, noting the time that had passed. He wanted to stay longer, but at the same time he knew that he didn't want to piss off Thatcher like Fuze did earlier in the hallway today, and that was something he didn't want see happen to him at _all_.

"Yumi, I gotta go. Just remembered that Mike had more stuff he wanted to discuss regarding tonight."

There was a slight twinge of sadness that struck Hibana's face at the sound of the words, but like everyone else, she understood.

"Okay...just promise me one thing though…"

"Yeah, what is it?"

She stepped closer to Thermite, just about to the point where she was mere inches from him. She could feel her face starting to grow hot again as she stood before him, but what she didn't know was that Thermite's face was the same way, but it was more blushing than embarrassment for him. Taking in a breath, Hibana threw her arms around the Texan, pulling herself close to him. Thermite could now feel his face starting to burn with embarrassment as he stood there, completely caught off guard by the motion.

"Promise me that you'll come back in one piece…"

Thermite let his shoulders relax at the statement, smiling at the gesture as he returned it.

"I promise. I'll be back. Just don't get mad at me if I get hurt though…"

"I'll be happy enough if you come back alive Jordan."

She squeezed him tighter before ultimately letting Thermite go from her grasp. Thermite was still visibly blushing from the display, but Hibana playfully punched him in the shoulder as a means to distract him.

"Christ, Jordan you're face is more red than my fire flower pellets."

"Well you're the one who…." his voice trailed off out of embarrassment, garnering a giggle from Hibana.

Back by the corner post, Storm was still somewhat grinning as he watched on with Buck, who was now possessing a look of surprise. Quietly, he motioned for the French-Canadian to follow him away from their post, walking back down the main corridor in the building.

"Shit, at this rate everyone's gonna be hooked up with someone," Buck noted.

"This would only make four couples Sebastien. Me and Eliza, Masa and Siu, Marius and Ela, and if all plays out well enough for those two, then expect to see Yumi and Jordan together hand in hand," Storm responded.

The two continued their stroll through the main corridor, keeping casual talk amongst themselves. What Buck didn't know, was that Storm's task had practically been completed with what he saw. Perhaps that's why he was smiling so much today, then again, he smiled at random thoughts that wandered through his mind, but it was safe to assume that in this case it was because of what just transpired. The duo passed Echo along their walk, with Storm giving him a quick thumbs up, earning a small fist pump from Echo in response. Their job had been taken care of, and now they wouldn't have to worry about putting up with it for good...at least that's what they were hoping.

* * *

 _June 1,2018_

 **Location: Moscow, Russia**

 **Time: 3:55 A.M.**

The squad of Thermite, Twitch, Fuze, Capitao, and Buck quietly approached the large Kafe building from the docks, their eyes all focused on the structure. Peering up at the sheer size of it, all five knew that getting inside presented many options, but it was figuring out which area presented the most opportunity that made the decision difficult. Thermite's eyes continued to dart back and forth underneath his goggles, trying to find what would be the best way for himself to enter and quickly get to the container.

"Everyone get your drones out. This is definitely going to require a full scan before we even think about entering," Thermite ordered.

Simultaneously, everyone took out a recon drone and tossed them down onto the ground in front of them before taking control and steering them towards the building. Entering the first floor, they immediately went about sweeping the entire area, covering the bar by the red stairs leading up to the second floor, and the kitchen/bakery area that was eerily empty.

"No one's in bar area," Capitao reported.

"No sign of hostiles in kitchen or bakery," Buck called out.

With everyone going about and sweeping the surrounding areas, Twitch was using her capabilities to take out the cameras that were watching over the areas, so as to prevent their location from being compromised. Moving along, all of their drones proceeded to the second floor.

"Footsteps nearby…" Twitch commented.

Following the sound of the steps, the squad of drones made their way down the hallway, with Twitch taking out the camera that was at the far end of the corridor. Moving into the room on their left, they quickly rolled through the fake fireplace that was there, stumbling upon a train room of sorts.

"What is this? This looks like some kind of museum," Buck noted.

"Who cares? The only thing worthwhile here are the drinks," Fuze responded.

The drones quickly circled the room, and before them, there was a glowing container that was pushed up against the wall, with three White Masks around it casually talking with one another.

"White Masks…..what a surprise...and they have the shipment," Thermite sarcastically stated.

What was also to note was how heavily reinforced the room was with both walls having the metal sheets anchored on them. Another problem was the fact that the way through to the next room was blocked off by a high stack of tightly packed bags, jammed into the entryway.

"Shit….no easy way to enter it seems…." Thermite sighed.

"There's still upstairs to check," Capitao responded.

Moving back through the way they came, they progressed through the remainder of the corridor and through the blocked off room, before heading up the stairs and onto the top floor. Rolling through, they immediately took note of how crowded it was. Other White Masks, now unmasked, were sitting about at the bar on the top floor, happily drinking away and others were smoking cigars in the room over. Everything seemed so merry, but the Rainbow members knew that the Masks' cheery night, was about to get bloody within the next several minutes. Casually, they kept rolling through and they were surprised as to how oblivious the White Masks were to the drones that were just wheeling about. What they did take note of, however, was how every window up top appeared to be barricaded by makeshift wooden planks nailed together.

"Hehehe….they've set themselves up for their own doom…" Fuze chuckled, with a scarily vivid image of the devastation soon to come.

Continuing to roll, everyone scattered their drones about to different parts of the top floor: Thermite kept his in the hallway leading to the back stairs, Twitch left hers in the back corner of the lounge by the wall, Fuze parked his under the table by two couches in the lounge, giving him a clear view of the room, Buck stationed his in the bar area and Capitao moved his outside the area to keep an eye out on the red stairs.

"Alright, best course of action is to move quickly and quietly through the front entrance and make our way upstairs to the second floor and breach in from the other room. Shuhrat, I think it's easy enough to tell you to take care of the lounge up top. Sebastien, I want you with me on breaching the room. Emma, Vicente, watch both sets of stairs in case any stragglers try to run down on us."

Everyone nodded in approval at the plan and soon enough they rushed the front entrance, with the exception of Fuze who started to go on the right flank of the building, crossing the road and breaking the front doors open with relative ease. Immediately, they started making their way up the stairs connected to the downstairs bar, and up towards the room adjacent to the reinforced room containing the shipment.

"Emma, cover the back stairs. Vicente, cover the stairs outside this museum room. Sebastien, sweep the corridors," Thermite ordered.

The three went to their respective posts, with Twitch quietly making her way over to the white staircase that was adjacent to the third floor bar and Capitao doing the same at the opposite stairwell. Buck slowly began skulking through the corridor, and checking the bottom half of the stairwells in order to ensure that they weren't going to be snuck up on from anyone downstairs. Outside, Fuze was rappelling his way up the side of the building, a Cluster Charge in hand as he reached the window closest to the far edge of the building.

"Comrades, I am ready to cause mayhem," Fuze devilishly radioed.

"Go for it Shuhrat. Make it rain hell in there," Thermite responded.

Setting the charge on the glass pane, Fuze started to shift his way over to the second window, having another Charge prepped as he pressed the trigger to initiate the first one. The device spun up and immediately drilled its way into the barricade, sending out its explosives into the room as Fuze planted the next one.

"Vy eto slyshite?" **(You hear that?)** a Mask asked.

Before anyone inside could respond, the explosives started to go off, instantly massacring those within close proximity and sending splintered wood and other debris into those that were further away, injuring them greatly. By this point, the remaining people started to scramble for the exit, but Fuze had already activated another Cluster Charge, spewing more explosives into the room and killing off the rest that were in the lounge, including those that were already injured from the first blast.

"Get ready to fire guys. Those who were in the bar are gonna start rushing down those sets of stairs any second now," Thermite cooley stated.

As forewarned, both Twitch and Capitao immediately heard the intense, rushed footsteps of the Masks in the bar running to each stairwell. Pulling out his Crossbow, Capitao aimed it at the top of the doorway that lead to landing at the top of the red stairs and fired the bolt off, leaving an asphyxiating gas in the air of the door. Those who didn't have the time to stop, rushed through it and immediately started to choke on the gas, leaving themselves at Capitao's mercy as he riddled those still standing with his PARA-308, leaving a stack of bodies at the doorway, blood now darkening the already red carpet that led to the stairs. At the other stairwell, Twitch stood at the ready with her SG-CQB while the panicked footsteps of White Masks came wheeling from her right. Training her shotgun on the doorway , seven Masks ran through, but soon enough, all were brought down within seconds as Twitch shot them up in the stomach, chest, and head. Blood splattered all over the hallway, and even spilled over the railing and onto the stairs down below leaving an absolutely grizzly sight to behold.

"Stairwell is clear," Twitch reported.

"This stairwell is clear too," Capitao added.

From his side of the wall, Thermite could hear the panicked chatter of the remaining three Masks as he placed his Brimstone charge on the reinforced wall.

"Ad prodolzhayetsya?" **(The hell is going on?)**

"Kak ya dolzhen znat'? My byli naznacheny tol'ko dlya zashchity konteynera." **(How should I know? We were only assigned to defend the container.)**

Soon enough, there was a loud spark with what sounded like the cutting of metal as Thermite activated the charge. The three Masks panickingly turned towards the wall, and soon enough it was blown open, with Thermite standing at the ready with his 556xi. Pulling the trigger, he unloaded a shower of lead into the three, striking one in the head and dropping another with multiple shots to the chest, leaving them dead on the floor. The third one ducked behind the large train car that stood in the middle of the room, forcing Thermite to carefully move into the room. Slowly, he approached the corner of the car, his gun angled toward the floor to where the remaining Mask could be. Peeling around the corner, he found no sign of the last Mask and continued his way to keep going around. As he reached the next corner, a foot came flying up, hitting against his rifle and sending it flying out of his hands. He turned to where the kick came from, and before him stood the last Mask, now wielding a combat knife as he stared down the Texan.

"Prikhodite, primite vashu smert'." **(Come, accept your death.)**

Thermite stood his ground, raising up his fists as the Mask flipped the knife in his hand before charging him with a lunging stab. Easily side stepping it, Thermite swung at him with a right hook but the Mask swiftly leaned back just managing to avoiding contact before swinging a high kick at Thermite's head. In turn, Thermite ducked the kick before shooting a straight left at the man's ribs, which was quickly sidestepped and he immediately performed a low sweep with the other leg, catching the Texan off guard as it quickly knocked him flat on his back. Before he even had the time to react and push himself up, the Russian quickly brought the knife down, sinking it into his left shoulder, causing Thermite to cry out in pain as the Mask proceeded to twist the knife around. As quick as he stabbed him, the Mask yanked the knife out, before straddling Thermite, the knife poised against his Adam's Apple.

"Ne dolzhen byl priyekhat' syuda, amerikanets." **(Should have never come here, American.)**

Taking hold of the hilt, the Mask gripped Thermite by the throat, raising the knife high above him. Before he even had the chance to drive it back down, blood spurted from the sides of his head as a single bullet passed through. The now dead Mask fell onto the left side of Thermite, the knife now on the ground as the corpse thudded onto the floor. Thermite looked through the open fireplace and laying prone with his CAMRS aimed into the room, was Buck.

"Piqûres de baise," **(Fucking pricks)** Buck muttered as he crawled his way into the room.

Thermite sat up from his position on the floor, his hand clutching at his shoulder as blood trickled down the side of his body and down his arm.

"Motherfucker had a fucking combat knife…what the fuck" Thermite said through gritted teeth while groaning in pain at his fresh wound.

By this time, Twitch and Capitao had arrived through the opening in the wall, with Fuze coming in moments later. The latter two looked over in interest at the glowing container while Twitch went over to Thermite to start tending to him.

"I am not touching that," Capitao stated as he looked on at the container.

"Why would you anyway? You never know how much radiation is within that crate," Fuze added, shrugging.

Taking the initiative, Buck pulled up his comms as he started to radio Thatcher.

"Mike, we got the container. Requesting extraction and medical assistance for Trace. Stab wound on the left shoulder with profuse bleeding. Also, tell the authorities to bring in a hazmat team. This contents of this container definitely look radioactive."

"Roger that Sebastien. Authorities should be there ETA ten minutes. Tend to Jordan as best you can until they arrive. Baker out."

Buck turned his comms off, turning his focus back over to Thermite as he was in clear pain from the knife attack while Twitch was doing her best to keep him in a comfortable position as she tried to treat the wound.

"Jordan, hold still. You fidgeting around this much is making it much more difficult to treat."

"Sorry Emma…"

Thermite tried to keep his composure together as his face easily spoke of excruciating pain, but every touch and contact made with the knife made him want to scream. Ultimately, he bit into the sleeve of his armor as Twitch went about cleaning the wound, before finally patching it up and wrapping the wound in gauze.

"That should hold until the authorities arrive. Can already tell you now though Jordan, that is _definitely_ going to require stitches when we get back to Hereford."

He sighed in frustration as he went back to favoring his shoulder, standing back up onto his feet with the aid of Twitch. Capitao and Fuze cautiously backed away from the container as they kept their focus on it before taking up watch points in the other room. Buck crawled his way back into the dining room that was on the other side of the fireplace while Twitch stayed at Thermite's side as the Texan gritted his teeth in agony. The bandages were already soaked with blood, and Twitch knew that soon enough she would have to change them over once it looked like the bandages were a pure crimson color. Minutes later, there were the sounds of more rushed footsteps accompanied by the loud blaring noises of sirens outside the building. The three on watch kept their guns at the ready, but dropped them the moment the Russian police had found them. One of the officers who was wearing a heavy coat, stepped forward, addressing the five of them.

"My friends, we can not thank you enough for this service. What you have just done is prevent what could've been long term catastrophe had these terrorists gotten this container moved somewhere else, and potentially transformed it into a weapon of sorts."

The officer scanned the room, looking at each operator back and forth.

"Which one of you is leader?"

Thermite stepped forward, extending his good arm out to the man.

"Jordan Trace. FBI SWAT member of Team Rainbow and also the leader of this operation."

The officer immediately took note of Thermite's injury as he shook his hand.

"I can tell one of those terrorists refused to go down without a fight."

"Indeed, but he's dead now so it doesn't matter anymore."

The officer laughed at the response, as well as a few others.

"Couldn't put it any better myself comrade. Anyways, at your commander's discretion, we did call in a hazmat team in order to help move the container out of the building so it can be moved elsewhere and be destroyed so as to prevent any harm to anyone. We thank you again for your aid in this, Mr. Trace."

The remaining officers all gave a simultaneous salute as the two shook hands once more, with Thermite returning to the other four.

"Anyone got word on when our ride home will be here?" Thermite asked.

"About thirty minutes or so," Buck responded.

Thermite nodded in approval as he leaned up against the near wall, pain still radiating throughout his shoulder as he clutched at it. It had been another successful mission for Team Rainbow, but at the cost of injury once more. He was, however, happy that less people had been hurt and that the damage was only minimal in this case, but it still upset him that they couldn't get away unscathed in something like this all because of his weak dexterity.

" _At least I kept my promise…"_ he thought, thinking back to his talk with Hibana earlier in the day.

Indeed, the promise of coming back alive was something he managed, he knew he would from the start. He chuckled at the thought, but immediately grimaced as the pain continued to surge through him. He'd have enough to look back on this later and laugh at it, but for now, he was more focused on getting home to start recovering from the hell that he had just endured as his shoulder continued to internally burn.

* * *

 **Time: 2:55 P.M.**

"Hold still Jordan, we're almost done. Last one…."

Thermite visibly grimaced at the pain as Doc put the last stitch into his shoulder. It had been a grueling procedure as Doc had to close the wound with twenty stitches in order to ensure the wound was fully closed and wouldn't bleed anymore than it should.

"There we go. Not too bad was it?" Doc sarcastically chided.

"I've been through worse Gustave, and you know that," Thermite sternly replied.

The Frenchman chuckled at the Texan's response as he put down his tools, before searching around for his bandages.

'I swear I just had that roll of bandages here…"

Puzzled, Doc started to venture around his office in search of gauze. Thermite went back to favoring his shoulder as he still felt a mixture of pain from the stab and also the stitches that were used to close it. He was, however, happy to have gotten medical treatment the moment he was back at base. His shoulder killed, but he knew that the meds Doc had on hand would greatly help him out in the long run. Suddenly, the door nearby was opened and in stepped Hibana who was dressed casually in a sweatshirt and sweatpants and her face went slightly red at the sight of a topless Thermite, who moved himself off the medical table.

"Hey," he greeted, wincing.

"Hey. How's the shoulder?"

"It hurts, but at least it's stitched. The ride back didn't make it any easier."

"I can imagine."

Slowly she approached him to the point where she was within arm's reach of him. Carefully she reached out the stitched wound, slowly, but gently moving her fingers down the length of the laceration. It was a rather good three-inch cut that had been inflicted, but a slight smile crept up onto Hibana's face as she kept tracing the cut.

"What are you smiling about?" Thermite questioned, somewhat smiling himself.

"Just the fact that you kept your promise is all."

"Well yeah, I said I'd come back. Even if it meant getting hurt in the process."

"Which means this…"

Reaching her hands up, she took gentle hold of Thermite's face, immediately making him blush as he looked into her eyes. She slightly smiled up at him before leaning towards him, pressing her lips up against his. The contact made the Texan's eyes widen along with his face becoming a deep red from the sudden motion. His eyes relaxed, along with his shoulders and he took the chance to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her closer to him. It was an unexpected reward to receive for such a simple promise, but he wouldn't trade it for anything else.

"Found it, finally," Doc called out.

Returning to the examination area, Doc was rather surprised to witness the scene before him as he awkwardly held the gauze in his hand.

"Doesn't look like you'll be needing those meds then will you Jordan," Doc teased, smirking.

The two quickly realized they had forgotten Doc was still around and broke away from their unison, both still blushing from what transpired. Hibana covered her mouth with her hand, while Thermite was back to clutching at his shoulder, all the while Doc was chuckling at the pair's embarrassment.

"Christ, you guys don't have to act so embarrassed. Liven up a little and be happy that this happened," Doc chuckled.

He lightly tossed the gauze roll over to Hibana, who instinctively caught it in her hands. Blankly looking at it, Thermite was soon handed a large capsule that had a medical label placed on top of it.

"Just take one of those every morning in order to help block the pain. If the pain still persists by the time you run out, just see me for more," Doc noted, giving Thermite a pat on the back.

"What about the bandaging?" Thermite questioned.

"I'm sure Ms. Imagawa can take care of that," Doc laughed. "Now you kids get going. I got other work to tend to."

The two slightly bowed their heads at Doc before exiting his office. Their faces were still tinted red from being caught, but to Hibana, she was content with what she had done and Thermite didn't appear to mind the gesture at all. Smiling, he put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to him.

"You've been meaning to do that for awhile haven't you Yumi?"

Hibana blushed at the question.

"Yeah….I have…"

"I appreciate the honesty. Just know now that the feeling is mutual."

He hugged her tight, with Hibana returning the gesture. Unbeknownst to them, Storm and Ash were watching from afar, both grinning at the sight.

"Job complete," Storm proudly stated.

"It would appear so," Ash chimed, "Well, I clearly owe you something for all this. Anything in particular?"

"With my birthday being tomorrow, dinner for the two of us will suffice."

"That was a quick answer."

Storm shrugged as he kissed her forehead. Another pairing had been made on base, and thankfully the burden of helping had been taken off his and Echo's shoulders. If they were to be honest, they didn't even do a whole lot of work since Hibana worked up the courage to power through most of it. With another day done, there was more to look forward to tomorrow as the big guy would be turning another year older. While he wasn't particularly happy about his increase in age, at least he had people to celebrate it with this time, and that was something that he could be happy about in the end.


	8. Chapter 8: A Weekend Surprise

**Author's Note: Finally got this posted. Sorry for the wait, was suffering a bit of Writer's Block when trying to put this one together, but I managed to overcome it fairly easily. Due to the lateness of this chapter, Chapter 9 might be posted a littler later than usual, but I'll still try to get it up by the normal time. Also, with Chapter 9, there will be a new character introduced to add a bit more flavor to the story and also a bit more humor as well.**

 **Enough rambling for today, hope you all enjoy reading Chapter 8, and as stated before, Chapter 9 might have a slightly longer wait time. Have fun reading! :D**

* * *

 _June 2,2018_

 **Location: Hereford Base, Herefordshire, UK**

 **Time: 9:20 A.M.**

The dim sunlight was already starting to filter its way into the interior of the base. Storm was comfortably lying in his bed, still somewhat half asleep with his hands clasped behind his head. While every other day was treated as the usual routine of eat, train, eat, train more, eat, and then sleep, today was actually going to be quite different for him. Why? He was turning thirty-three today on this one special day of the year, he held back solemn memories of his past from previous celebrations. His work often made celebrating impossible, and he went through each birthday, just knowing that he was simply aging bit by bit. Being at Hereford however, meant that this year could be different compared to years past…..

"Aiden," a voice whispered.

His eyes fluttered at the calling, but they remained shut as he rolled his shoulders a bit, exhaling a peaceful breath.

"Aiiideeen," the voice softly called.

His eyes slowly opened up, his pupils adjusting to the lighting within his room as he looked up in the direction of the voice. Withdrawing one of his arms, he rubbed at both eyes, clearing his vision as he continued to look. Upon everything coming into focus, he was visibly surprised to see Ash straddling him, smiling as she gently caressed his face with her hand.

"Morning Aiden."

"Morning…"

He slightly smiled back at Ash, who basically had him pinned down on his bed.

"How'd you even get in here?"

"You left your door unlocked, which is never like you."

"Well….I don't mind if you're the one coming in when it's unlocked."

"Not to mention, I also wanted to give you a birthday awakening, so... Happy birthday Aiden."

"Heh, you sure know how to make me feel loved in this world Eliza."

She quietly giggled at his response as he readjusted his position into a more comfortable one. Reaching up, he glided the back of his fingers against her arm as he gazed into her eyes. He couldn't name another time in his life that he was this content with someone who held a special place in his heart. His thought process was interrupted as Ash cupped his face with both hands, leaning in and kissing him. It had now become somewhat regular for the two to do such an exchange, but only in private. They hadn't really done it in front of anyone else, but their love was already out there, so why should it matter? After a few more moments, Ash broke the kiss, slowly drawing herself away, still smiling as she kept staring into Storm's eyes.

"You know how much I love you, right Aiden?" she asked, planting another peck on Storm's lips.

"With the amount of kisses we give one another, I can already tell how much it extends Eliza," Storm softly replied, wrapping his arms around her.

Swiftly, he sat up with Ash still clutched against chest, lightly kissing her neck. The contact made Ash laugh as Storm continued his loving assault on her. It was rare for them to share a moment like this given the ground rules on base, but as long they were discreet, those rules didn't exist to them. Snickering, he moved back up to her lips, kissing her more passionately as the two sat there together in a pure state of bliss. However, it was soon interrupted by the buzzing of Storm's phone on the bed. Breaking away from the kiss, he picked up the phone off the mattress, answering the call.

"Hello?"

"Morning Aiden, it's Mike. Did I wake ya mate?"

"No, not at all sir."

"Rumor has it that today is your birthday….this true?"

"Yessir. I turn thirty-three today."

"Well, happy birthday. As a means to celebrate it, we've decided to give you and Eliza the weekend off to celebrate your special occasion."

"Oh, well….thank you sir. I appreciate that."

"Heh, it's no big deal Aiden. Enjoy your special day and the time off my friend."

With that statement, the call ended. Storm grinned at the news as he put his phone back down on the mattress, before falling back down full stretch on his bed, hands clasped behind his head once more.

"What's got you smiling all of a sudden?" Ash questioned, her interest piqued at Storm's reaction.

"We got the weekend off," he chimed.

"We? You mean, both of us are free this weekend?"

Storm nodded along as he let out an extensive yawn, to which Ash shook her head, chuckling at his behavior. Shifting herself off of him, she laid on her side, gently resting her head on his chest and started to listen to the sound of his heartbeat as he wrapped his arm around to pull her close to him.

"Any idea on how we should go about the day?" Ash murmured.

"No idea. I mean, aside from the dinner you owe me later tonight, I don't know what else to do," Storm chuckled.

Ash playfully slapped his chest, earning another laugh from Storm as he squeezed her in a one armed hug. After a few more moments, peaceful silence fell over the two as they laid next to one another, with Storm gazing up at the ceiling and Ash listening to the steady pace of his heart beating within him. Soon enough, she could hear the faint noises of Storm snoozing, making her laugh to herself as she snuggled closer to him. He wasn't kidding about not knowing what to do with the time off, but more sleep was definitely the best answer for the time being. Laying her arm across his chest, she could soon feel herself starting to drift to sleep as she continued to lie next to Storm. Her eyes soon gave in, as she eventually found herself sleeping, wrapped in Storm's arm, leaving the two in a state of peace. It wasn't the first time the two had slept in one another's arms, given what happened a few weeks ago. This time however, they were more comfortable with the situation, as they kept sleeping the morning away, drawing their plans for the evening closer and closer to them.

* * *

 **Time: 6:05 P.M.**

It had been some time since Storm had visited the recreational room, but for a majority of the afternoon and into the early evening, he had been kicking it with Echo and Buck while Mute was out for the evening to train with the rest of the S.A.S crew. At the couches, Jager and Ela were passed out together on the bigger, main couch with Jager practically spooning Ela. On the couch next to them, Blitz and IQ were watching the evening news since there wasn't anything better on except for the usual reruns of other shows. At the main table, Echo was discussing the operatives that Jordan had shown him from days earlier, while at the same time he was fiddling with his Yokai drone.

"Word is that the three will be arriving here sometime tomorrow, or Monday at the latest...at least that's what Jordan said to me," Echo noted, carefully slipping the flathead screwdriver he had into a tight space on the drone.

"Where from this time?" Buck asked, flipping through his phone.

"He said one of them's Polish, and that the other two are South Korean, both part of the 707th Special Mission Battalion."

"South Korea? Nice place to visit if you ask me."

"Indeed, but they are quite tech savvy. Actually collaborated with a person from there on some tech designs. The intellectual mind she possessed was incredible."

"Don't let Siu catch you saying those kinds things about other women now Masa," Storm teased.

"Oh shut up," Echo retorted, garnering a laugh from the American.

"Just pulling your leg is all," Storm chuckled.

"Hey, speaking of women, don't you have a dinner date with Eliza tonight?"

"Yeah, but it's not for another hour or so. We're sort of planning an overnight in London since Mike gave us the weekend off out of respect for my birthday. Still a bit puzzled as to why he would give us the time off, but in the end I'm not really complaining," Storm stated, reclining back in his chair a bit.

Shortly after, both Ying and Frost entered the room, panting heavily which quickly garnered the attention of the trio sitting at the table.

"Christ you guys sound beat," Storm immediately noted.

"Mike had us….doing…..sprints…." Frost uttered in between breaths as she sat down next to Buck.

"For how long?" Echo sympathetically asked.

"A solid hour…..if anything…." Ying panted, taking the open seat next to Echo.

The three males exchanged sympathetic looks with one another, but were also quietly laughing at the girls' exhaustion since it was rare to see them in such a state. Buck gave Frost a reassuring pat on the back as she rested her head on her forearms while Echo halted his maintenance on his Yokai and gingerly took a hold of Ying's hand, gently squeezing it, to which she tiredly smiled at before returning the gesture. Back at the couches, IQ stood up from her seat, seemingly stretching as Blitz let out a yawn as the news quietly went on in the background.

"Elias würdest du lieber heute Abend essen gehen, anstatt hier zu essen?" **(Elias, would you rather go out for food instead of eating here?)**

"Ja, ich bin dran." **(Yeah, I'm down for it.)**

He turned towards the sleeping Jager, quietly shaking him enough to the point where he only woke him up and not Ela. The quietest member of the GSG 9 looked up at Blitz with a half-asleep look in his eyes.

"Wir machen uns auf zum Essen. Du willst mit Marius kommen?" **(We're heading out for food. You want to come with, Marius?)**

Jager lazily shook his head as he rested it back down, nuzzling closer to Ela. Blitz quietly chuckled at the sight of it as he stood up from his seat, stretching his arms out.

"That answers that then."

The German duo quietly made their exit, leaving Jager by himself with Ela as the two continued to snooze on the couch. Back at the table, the other five were casually lounging about with Storm, Echo, and Buck continuing their usual talks while Ying and Frost were just about passed out in their seats from the exhausting hell that they went through in the training yard earlier.

"Aiden, how is it that a PMC like yourself made it into Rainbow without coming from any distinct organization?" Buck chirped.

"What do you mean?" Storm questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, look at everyone else here: Tina and I are from JTF2 up in Canada, you got Masaru and Yumi from SAT over in Japan, Siu and Liu from SDU in Hong Kong, and Ela from GROM over in Poland. Normally when most people get into Rainbow, they usually hail from some counter terrorism unit that's from their country of origin, or close to it if you were to look at the likes of Shuhrat and Seamus."

"Word just gets around I guess. There isn't really a whole lot to discuss as to how I was discovered because all I know is that I kept jumping from PMC, to PMC, to PMC and so on. I was never in one spot for long."

"How often were you transferring?"

"About every nine months or so. It was only because of location purposes really and the living conditions varied for each PMC I was a part of."

"Why didn't you just sign on for the Army, or any other branch of military?"

Storm shrugged at the thought.

"None of them really appealed to me and also money was a factor as well. The pay sounded good at first, but when I was hearing people's experiences with the military, I was sketched out. Ultimately, some of those PMCs ended up paying more than standard military, so I ended up signing on with the PMCs _because_ of the pay. I wanted to ensure that I could live my own life, away from my original home and not have to constantly rely on others."

"Why seek the independence when it sounds like you already had it? I've heard your backstory…"

"It's because I didn't want to look or sound weak Sebastien. I wanted to prove that I could handle my own shit…"

The serious tone of voice caused the air to grow quiet at the table as Storm uttered his last statement. There was a lot of push behind those words as he forced them out due to the fact that he was opening up more about his past, a secret most never knew the full story to.

"I see your case in point…" Buck muttered.

"Thank you…" Storm huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Jeez Aiden, he was just asking is all," Echo stated, still fiddling with his Yokai.

"The past is something I prefer not to talk about in such an...open area…" he replied, darting his eyes back and forth between Frost and Ying.

"Right…" Buck murmured..

Shortly after, there were simultaneous thuds on the table as both Frost and Ying passed out from exhaustion, with the two now audibly sleeping.

"Oh Jesus…." Echo sighed, putting the screwdriver down.

Echo put a hand to his face, shaking his head while Buck was trying his best not to let his laughter loose at the scene.

"Well, clearly an early night for them. I'll bring Tina back to her room. Masa, I'm expecting you'll do the same for Siu," Buck chuckled, standing up from his seat.

"Aiden, watch over my stuff," Echo stated, moving from his seat.

Moving to their respective members, Buck easily scooped Frost up from her seat and Echo managed to hoist Ying up in a piggy back, before the four departed the room with Buck and Echo still continuing simple conversation. With the two out of the room, Storm reclined back in his seat, stretching his arms out before bringing himself back towards the edge, folding his arms over his chest as he looked over Echo's Yokai. He had never really taken a look at the drone before, but he couldn't help his curiosity as he delicately took a hold of the device. The design was sleek, and it looked as if it had been crafted enough to also fit through drone holes and other tight spaces that were found within complexes and compounds. He also took note of the Chinese characters inscribed on the drone, signifying two different things that were either on, or part of the drone.

"You know, you shouldn't just pick up things that aren't yours…" a feminine voice called out.

Casually looking up from the Yokai, Storm came face to face with the GROM operative and Jager's girlfriend, Ela. She was rather young looking despite her actual age, but there was always a look in her eyes that could send a shiver down a person's spine. Storm, however, did not feel that effect as he blankly stared back at her.

"Well, nice to see you too sleeping beauty," Storm sarcastically stated, returning to his examination of the Yokai.

"Don't call me that again. What the hell are you even doing with Masaru's Yokai anyway?" Ela demanded.

"Just checking it out since he went to go bring Siu back to her room after she nodded off here. Same thing happened with Tina, and so Sebastien had to bring her back as well. Surprised you're even awake without waking Marius there."

"He can be a pretty heavy sleeper on occasion."

Ela soon sat herself across from Storm as he gently put the Yokai back down on the table. Taking a different interest, he picked up the screwdriver and started to twirl it about in between his hands, staring at it as if he was star struck.

"You certainly are an odd ball…" Ela noted, resting her cheek on her fist.

"Can easily say the same about you," Storm retorted, his focus still on the screwdriver.

Ela's face scrunched up a bit at the comment, but at the same time, she was amazed with how calm he was as he played around with the tool. She hadn't seen anyone else so at ease before, so it was quite a surprise to see someone of his stature and condition possess the ability to keep himself steady.

"You hail from anywhere?" she questioned.

"Anywhere?" he replied.

"Organization you're a part of."

"I am not and nor did I belong to any organization or counter terrorism unit. Was just a regular, old PMC constantly traveling from base to base before I found myself here."

"Some common ground then. I used to be a PMC myself before I joined GROM."

"What made you join?"

The question was almost like a dagger in the chest for Ela. She could feel her throat tighten a bit as she tried to formulate her words.

"Well…..it was a family thing….."

"Was someone an officer or something in GROM?"

"My father used to be the commander of the whole unit."

"What happened to him?"

"Ehm….."

The mere thought of what caused her to join GROM in the first place made her heart sink every time. Just hearing the news when she was working in Iraq, put her on the verge of tears, and to this day it still did whenever she thought of it. Her father….taking his own life….and the cause for it was never determined.

"If it's something private, then don't feel the need to say it," Storm bluntly stated, setting the screwdriver down.

A wave of relief washed over her at the statement, letting her exhale a more relaxed breath.

"You got any other family who were part of GROM? Or perhaps still working actively in it?"

"A sister of mine…..Zofia. Her and I don't talk much though…."

Storm wanted to make another snarky comment, but instead bit his tongue on it as he rapidly thought of something else to bring up.

"Any idea where she is now?"

"Probably back home in Wroclaw with her husband and daughter. While it's nice to know that there's been an extension to the family, I still feel no need to see them in any fashion."

That statement itself almost made Storm push himself up from the table, but he tightly gripped the edge so as to prevent himself from launching himself, keeping his feet planted on the floor. Who in the right mind wouldn't visit family? He himself hadn't visited family that much, but he still had the _intention_ to visit them again some day. To hear the fact that someone had no intentions whatsoever shocked him, and also angered him greatly.

"Why do you choose to not bother visiting your sister's home? That's an opportunity to reconnect and meet your niece for Christ's sake."

"Again, what for? Everyday there is the risk of death out here in this world Aiden. Why bother to show that little girl that she has an aunt, only to discover the next day that she's vanished and isn't coming home….. _ever_ again."

"Now you're just sounding ridiculous…"

"What I'm stating is facts. I've learned that you can't just sugarcoat things anymore in this world, and to be honest if I were to meet her, I'd tell her the cold hearted truth, and say the _exact_ same thing to Zofia if she were here."

Inside, Storm could feel his blood start to boil at every negative aspect Ela pointed out. The fact that she visibly had no issue whatsoever on talking poorly about her other sibling and family disgusted him. It was one thing to be mad at a family member for a period of time, but the fact that someone held something against their own kin to the point that they wouldn't even bother visiting home was sickening and vile to him. However, the discussion with Echo earlier popped into his head again regarding the new operators coming in from South Korea and Poland. Shaking his head, he stood up from his seat.

"Who knows….you might get the chance to do so…."

"What are you on about this time?"

"Rumor's going around that there are some new people who will be coming to town….and one of them's Polish…"

Ela's eyes widened at the statement, and she felt herself just about ready to pounce on Storm and start smacking the shit out of him.

"Just saying sleeping beauty, there's a possibility…" he scoffed, making his way out of the rec room.

Now she _really_ wanted to smack him for calling her _that_ again as he made his way out into the corridor, but she displayed restraint as she slowly dragged her nails across the top of the table. Soon after, Jager woke up from the couch, stretching himself about and cracking his neck as he loosened himself up.

"Swear we need new couches at some point…" he mumbled groggily.

Looking around the room, his eyes eventually found Ela, who was still sitting at the table, but now constantly tapping her nails against the hard surface. Quietly, he walked towards the large table and sat himself in the seat next to her.

"Was wondering where you went. I didn't think you'd venture too far."

Ela seemed to pretend as if she didn't hear Jager's observation, letting her nails continue to clack against furniture.

"You seem stressed," Jager noted.

"I'm fine Marius…."

"No, you're not. Not with that tone of voice."

A frustrated sigh came from the Polish woman as Jager put his hand on her shoulder.

"If you want to talk I'm always here to listen."

"I'm not sure if I want to…"

Now it was Jager's turn to sigh.

"If you don't want to, then you don't have to. Just saying though, it's better to talk than remain silent."

"Fine…."

"So, what is it?"

"Rumor is that my sister might be joining Team Rainbow…"

"And that's bad why?"

"Her and I don't get along."

Jager took a moment to process what was said to him, a puzzled expression appearing on his face.

"How do you two not get along?"

"It was the way our father treated us. My sister, older than me by four years, was always treated as the favorite. She was constantly pushed to excel in military training, whereas I struggled with it constantly throughout my childhood years. She earned praise, and I was scolded because I failed to constantly hold up to our father's expectations. I knew he wanted us to enlist in the military, but I didn't want to deal with that shit after graduating high school."

"So you ran off?"

She nodded.

"I went to Berlin to study the Fine Arts in hopes of drawing my attention away from my family's lifestyle, but it eventually came back to bite me and ultimately I enlisted into a PMC and was soon deployed in Iraq."

"How much time did you spend there?"

"Four years. It was always hot, dry, and dull. I could've made it further along the ladder if only my employers didn't keep holding me down. They kept saying my attitude was the reason why I didn't go any further, saying that I constantly fought with the authoritative figures within the company and that they weren't going to promote me any time soon. During my fourth year in the country, is when I received the news….."

Ela could feel her throat start to tighten once more at the thought of her father. Returning from Iraq hadn't been an easy experience for her, and she remembered being met by Zofia at the airport with the most solemn look she had ever seen her sister wear. The memory of dropping her bags as the two made eye contact, both of them knowing the grave news they had received, and Zofia giving her one of the few hugs that the two shared, and it was one that Ela clung to because it was one of the only times she cried her eyes out in such a public area as she held her sister. She was strong herself, but sometimes there were moments where even the strongest cried….and that was one of them. Even now, she could feel herself about to cry as her eyes welled up. Easily, Jager could detect her change in mood and gently he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, to which she responded by resting her head against his shoulder.

"Ela, you don't have to continue if you don't want to…"

She wiped her eyes with her arm, shaking her head.

"No….at this rate I almost feel compelled to explain…..the news was that…..my father….had taken his own life…."

Uttering those last few words ultimately broke her as she could feel tears start to flow down her cheeks, raising a hand to her mouth in an attempt to silence her sobs as the thought filled her mind. Jager instinctively wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her close and tight, as she continued to cry against his chest. He had never seen her in such a state before, and given her nature, it was _rare_ to see her acting like this. Gently, he ran his palm up and down along her back as a sign of comfort while she continued to bawl into his shirt, tears staining the fabric. He was at a loss for words on how to calm Ela, but at the same time, he figured it was best to remain quiet and let her vent. Several minutes passed by until Ela had finally settled, to which Jager was holding her the entire way as a means to ease the mental and emotional pain she had to relive once again.

"You okay Ela?"

She slowly nodded her head, wiping away more of her tears.

"For now at least…"

Jager gently patted her head as he pulled away from the embrace, giving Ela more space as the tension slowly faded away. Her eyes were reddened from the tears as she continued to wipe away at the ones still flowing out of the corners. Jager could only look on as he smoothed her hair out, trying to find the words in order to break the silence.

"...I'm here for you…..always," he stated.

"And I appreciate that Marius…..always…"

Jager smiled at the response as he placed his hand on top of hers. He didn't exactly know what to say, but he was content with the answer he had received. It was a lot to digest however. What he had learned was something that almost no one knew...and that was Ela's past and the life that she continues to struggle with each and every passing day. The one thing he couldn't relate to was the backstory, and he knew there was no way he could find a connection in order to further put Ela at ease. In his mind, however, he took a mental oath in order to see that this woman he was with, would be happy and no longer have to suffer through tragedy any longer. For pain is one's greatest enemy, and he wanted to defend her from as much of it as he could.

* * *

 **Time: 7:25 P.M.**

Casually lounging about on his bed, Storm flipped through whatever media he had on his phone as the time slowly ticked on. The time was finally arriving for him to head out with Ash, and he made sure he had a change of clothes for tomorrow and also that he had at least decent attire for the night, which consisted of of a dark blue polo, jeans, and black runners. Perhaps not the most formal wear he ever wore, but it wasn't like they were visiting the Queen at Buckingham or going to the fanciest restaurant that Herefordshire has to offer. Ash was the one who actually suggested the place for the night, and Storm seemed to take interest in it as it offered just about everything for a relatively inexpensive price. Eventually, a long awaited knock came at his door. Pushing himself up off his bed, he picked up his phone from beside his bed before striding over to the door, opening it up to reveal Ash, standing on the other side. She herself had dressed mostly informal as well, consisting of a grey shirt, black leggings, her black biker boots, and a cream colored cardigan, along with a drawstring bag.

"Hey…" Storm uttered, slightly taken aback by Ash's outfit.

"Hey," she smiled.

"So...take it you're ready to go now?"

"If you are, then yeah."

Lightly chuckling at the response, Storm stepped out of the room and took point as he lead Ash down the stairs and into the main corridor leading to the entrance. Upon reaching it, they were stopped by the security guard that was standing at the desk placed about a good forty feet away from the entryway.

"You two heading out?"

Both of them nodded in response.

"How long for?"

"Overnight trip," Storm replied.

"And when should we expect your earliest return?"

"Mid-afternoon tomorrow."

The guard quickly wrote all the information passed to him on a nearby clipboard before handing Storm a set of keys.

"You guys enjoy yourselves."

The pair eventually made their way outside, and to their almost immediate left was the vehicle garage that mainly consisted of cars and jeeps.

"How do we know which one is ours?" Storm questioned, his eyes slowly looking over all the vehicles.

"There's a taped number on each set of keys. So ours is….number four," Ash noted, pointing out the label.

Storm's eyes wandered across each vehicle, before eventually settling on the one that had a massive numbered four stickered on the top left corner of the windshield. Motioning towards it, the two walked over to the vehicle, which just appeared to be another generic Sedan. Opening the rear passenger door, Storm tossed both bags into the backseat before climbing into the driver's seat, with Ash soon following suit and taking her spot on the passenger side.

"So how far away is the place?"

"No more than an hour drive. Just follow the GPS and we should get there easy."

Starting up the car, Storm took the time to hook his phone up to the auxiliary cord that was thankfully in the car. Scanning through his playlists, he ultimately decided on playing "NJ Legion Iced Tea" by ADTR. Meanwhile, Ash put in all the necessary information on the GPS, giving Storm a nod of approval to start driving. Pulling out from the garage, the two soon made their way out of the base and onto the road, bound for the destination. It had been awhile since he had last driven a vehicle of sorts, as he could feel his palms sweating a bit with thoughts swirling about in his head on how to be a careful driver, but after a few minutes, he quickly caught on once more. Eventually, they got onto the ramp taking them onto the highway and soon enough they were accelerating down the stretch of road.

"Eliza."

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something? It's somewhat a bit of an awkward question…"

"Feel free to ask Aiden."

"A month back…" his voice trailed off.

"What about it?"

The thought he had formulated was stuck in his mind as he focused on driving more than he could speak a response.

"A month back….I know we basically started dating after that night in the park…"

"Mhmm."

"So my question is…..God, why is this so hard to ask…."

"Is it really that hard to just ask a question Aiden?" Ash chuckled, tucking a strand of her behind her ear.

Storm let out a heavy sigh as he composed himself.

"My question is...why choose me?"

The question came as a bit of a shock to Ash as she glanced at him.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is…..out of all the guys to fall for, you fell for me….what's special about me?"

Ash snickered at the question as Storm's face visibly reddened.

"What do I find special about you…"

"I mean, what sets me apart from every other guy on base?"

"Well, there a few things if I'm being completely honest Aiden."

"And those things are?"

"Well for starters, you didn't appear the type to be actively hitting on any of the girls the moment you arrived on base."

Instead of his face now being red with embarrassment, it was now red because of him blushing at the compliment.

"I mean….I'm not exactly the most social person…"

"Which is true, but that appears to be changing given how much you talk to Masaru, Sebastien, and Mark."

"That's only because they're my closest friends on base."

"True as that may be, you've certainly become a lot more active in talking, especially with me."

"Well, you are my girlfriend, so…"

Ash snickered at his responses.

"Jesus Aiden, you humble yourself too much sometimes."

"Just my nature really…"

"And I love you for it."

Leaning from her seat, she planted a kiss on his cheek, making him blush even more at the affection.

"You are really making it difficult to drive with that…"

"You saying you don't like it?"

"Ehm…."

Ash continued to laugh at Storm's embarrassment as he felt his grip tighten on the steering wheel.

" _Fuck me man….how do I get so lucky to have a woman who appreciates me for the way I am, but also drive my mind crazy like this?"_ he thought, his grip loosening on the wheel.

"Anyways, what else sets me apart from the rest of the guys?" he questioned, clearing his throat.

"Your personality. I know that sounds generic, but if I'm being absolutely honest, then that would be my answer."

"What's there to like?"

Ash tapped a finger against the side of her chin, taking a moment to process her thoughts.

"Well….just the fact of how quiet you are in most situations. Most of the other boys can be quite loud, such as Shuhrat and James, but you are most certainly different."

"Sebastien and Mark are also relatively quiet. What makes me different?"

"You three aren't different by much, but Sebastien can be a bit weird for my tastes, and also Mark is just too young. He can be sweet and all, but he's only twenty six."

"Point taken."

"Any other questions then?"

Storm shook his head as he continued staring at the road, his shoulders now relaxed with his grip. It had been a question he had been meaning to get off his chest for sometime now because if he was being honest, he couldn't remember the last the time a girl had just wanted to be with him other than the fact that he was a distant friend or a shoulder to cry on for most others. For once, he was grateful that someone saw more in him than others. The feeling was so good that he almost felt like he could cry, but he wouldn't. Either way, he was just thankful for the answers that Ash had given him, and also the love that she shared with him really made him happy to celebrate his birthday with the one he loved the most.

* * *

 _June 3, 2018_

 **Time: 2:50 A.M.**

Following their dinner date Storm and Ash made their way to the hotel they'd booked for the night. The room door slowly swung open as Storm tiredly dragged himself inside, carrying both bags, with Ash following close behind him. Dinner had gone off without a hitch, and they were relatively impressed with the quality of the food and also the service that was provided. The drive into London was a killer though. It was late, and Storm had been doing most of the driving, so his legs were killing him, but the reason Ash was also tired was because she was used to being in the middle of sleep at this time of day. Dropping the bags on the ground by the bed, Storm promptly face planted onto the mattress, stretching his arms out to the point where they hung off the other edge. Ash quietly laughed at his exhaustion as she sat on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs.

"Easy enough to tell that you're more tired than me, Aiden."

Storm groaned into the bed sheet, with Ash continuing to laugh at his expense. Shifting himself, he propped his head up onto his forearms, as he crossed them underneath his chin.

"My legs are killing me big time…."

"Yeah, sorry about having you do most of the driving."

"It's no big deal."

Storm rolled onto his back so he was looking up at the ceiling, which was more or less shrouded in darkness due to them not having bothered to turn on a light at all. Ash soon fell all the way back, resting herself on the mattress, the two now lying in opposite directions, but still staring at the same object that was resting above them.

"Hey, Eliza…"

"Yeah Aiden?"

"...Thanks for celebrating my birthday with me."

"Of course."

Ash changed her position to the point where she was laying in the same direction as him. Storm himself could feel the mattress shift as well, but he was more focused on trying to keep himself awake as his eyelids were starting to grow really heavy. At one point when his eyes closed on him, he felt a weight shift onto his body and his eyes slowly opened up to see what was occurring. Ash had moved herself on top of him, her head resting next to his and her hands and forearms just snuck under him as he lay there, a bit confused.

"Eliza….what are you doing…" he groggily mumbled.

Rather than answer his question, Ash simply lifted her head up from where it was resting and gazed into Storm's half-asleep eyes as he lazily looked back up at her. Slowly lowering her head down towards his face, she locked her lips up with his, which caught him by surprise, but he wasn't resisting it either as he let his eyes close back down on him. It was probably the longest kiss that the two shared as Ash _really_ let her lips linger on Storm's as he slowly got one arm up and wrapped it around her. After about a minute had passed, Ash finally broke the kiss, but immediately went back to it, barely giving Storm enough time to draw in another breath.

" _What is this girl doing…"_ he wondered, but his focus was still mainly directed on the contact between his lips and hers as they continued to be in this position.

The kissing between the two though did somewhat revitalize his energy as he found the energy in himself to wrap his other arm around her, linking his hands together at the fingers. Eventually, he soon sat himself up, still keeping Ash close to him as they continued to kiss. Breaking the link between his hands, he moved his left hand along the curvature of her back, and he let his right hand go with Ash's braided ponytail, gently running it between his index and middle finger. One thing that he started to take notice of as the two were still locked in their make out session was the change in Ash's breathing and the noises that were starting to echo from her between each kiss.

" _Is… is she… getting turned on by this?"_

In the back of his mind, he kind of figured this judging by how hastened her breaths were becoming and the fact that those breaths were almost turning into moans the more they progressed. At one point, the cardigan Ash was wearing eventually soon fell off onto the floor, revealing the tight shirt she had underneath, which was _really_ showing off her curves, almost distracting Storm from his current task as he almost felt an animal instinct to immediately _reach_ for what was only mere inches in front of him as his right hand stopped playing with her hair and instead he planted it on the bed. However, Ash took the initiative and took the hand that Storm had just put down and moved it up onto her left breast.

" _Holy shit…"_

A part of him felt like pulling away because of how fast everything was moving for him, but his instinct kept his hand in place. The constant shifting eventually caused the two to fall back down onto the bed, and Storm could just about feel Ash's tongue trying to wrestle with his as she still maintained dominance on top.

" _Jesus...never thought she could get like this…"_

After some time, he soon decided to take control. Lightly rolling his body to the left, he threw himself to the right, now positioning himself over Ash, her hands now caressing his face while his hand was still rested on her breast. At this rate, his conscience wasn't even directing him what to do, it was his inner instincts as the animal within him was starting to put on a display. Moving from her lips, he slowly made his way down to her neck, lightly kissing and sucking on Ash's skin, earning quiet moans from her as he continued making his away around, taking the time to spend a few extra seconds in certain spots before moving onto the next one. However, when he pulled his head back up, he could almost feel his pupils shrink on him as he looked down. Instead of seeing Ash before him, he saw a vision of himself pinning a hostile man down by his wrists, both struggling for control. Gunfire was loudly heard in the background as the two kept wrestling for control, with the hostile trying to gain leverage by pushing on Storm's face with his hand. Storm kept his resistance strong as he pushed against the force, but soon enough he was flipped onto his back, with the hostile trying to grab at Storm's throat, but he knocked the man's hands aside and soon enough flipped the man back onto his back, regaining control from the top. With the two still struggling, the man soon found an opening to promptly slap Storm across the face, calling out something that Storm either misinterpreted or didn't hear as he looked down at the man he had pinned with a puzzled look.

"Aiden!"

As quick as it had happened, Storm soon felt his pupils returning to normal as everything around him faded back to what it was originally. He took the moment to slowly scan the room, which was still rather dark as hell, and everything else seemed to be where it was when he first arrived with Ash, or at least that's what he thought.

"Aiden…" a voice murmured.

Silently, but slowly he looked beneath him. He still had Ash pinned down, but this time with only one hand clamped on her wrist and his other hand was still….well…..on her breast. In the darkness, she couldn't tell if he was still wearing a serious expression or if he was looking down out of embarrassment. A few more awkward moments passed and Storm soon withdrew his hands as he stood from his position before sitting back down on the edge of the bed, running his hands over his face before locking them together behind his head as he stared at the floor, visibly disturbed by the occurrence of his most recent episode, and also frustrated with how the timing ruined the moment between the two.

"I'm…..sorry that happened….that's twice now you've been on the receiving end…." he muttered, exhaling a frustrated sigh.

Ash lightly dusted her shirt before rubbing at her wrist as there was still a slight twinge of pain radiating through it. Like he had stated, it wasn't the first time that two shared an awkward moment like this, and she definitely knew it wouldn't be the last time that his PTSD would kick in like that. Sitting up from her position, she scooted herself closer to him, wrapping her arm around him while he continued to stare at the floor. It was the same behavior he was displaying after what happened during the nighttime exercise: he became extremely reclusive, almost unresponsive as he holed himself up within his thoughts and memories.

"Aiden, it's okay…"

"No it's not Eliza...this shit's been plaguing me for years and yet I somehow still carry myself with it…"

The words almost came as hurtful to Ash since she was the one trying to offer help, but the fact that Storm almost seemed to swat it away like that definitely struck a blow to her.

"...When did these episodes start happening?"

"Four….five years ago….and it's something I'd not rather discuss until I know I'm completely ready to open up about it."

"I understand that, but know I'm here for you Aiden. I mean, you also got Mark, Masa, and Sebastien to also talk to if need be. We're here for you at all times…"

She gently placed her hand on his knee, to which he almost instinctively rested his hand on top of, but there was a bit of hesitation as he did place it on top of hers, intertwining his fingers with hers as he let out another sigh.

"It's late at is, and you probably do need the rest after tonight Aiden…"

He silently nodded in response. The night itself had been an adventure of joy and madness to its own standard, but the ending for it wasn't exactly the sweetest. Of course, he knew himself that the episodes were sporadic, but when it's happened to be the same person on the receiving end, twice no less, it does get worrying. He rubbed at his neck as the thoughts continued to swirl through his mind. What he was happy with, however, was the fact that Ash assured him on being there for him, something he treasured greatly. It was probably the thing he valued the most out of everything that she was giving him, and he wanted to ensure that he would never lose that hope from her...or anyone else for that matter.

* * *

 **Time: 4:10 P.M.**

Everybody was crowding the main corridor, actively chatting with one another. Today was the day that the new people were supposed to be arriving on base. Mute, Buck, and Echo were grouped up near the back of the horde since there was a bit more privacy for discussion.

"You sure that they're supposed to be coming today Masaru?" Buck questioned, scanning the massive group.

"If not today, then tomorrow….at least that's what Jordan told me," Echo replied, shrugging.

"Changing the subject, but do either of you know where Aiden is? I know I wasn't really able to hang with you guys yesterday, but hey, training calls," Mute stated.

"Last I heard, him and Ash were on their way back from London. They ended up spending the night there as a way to celebrate his birthday, at least that's what I think," Buck mentioned, trying to see if he remembered it correctly.

"That could be taken so many ways…" Mute snickered, trying his hardest not to burst out laughing.

"Shit, I didn't even think about it like that now that you mention it Mark," Buck laughed.

The three were doing their best to keep their laughter to a minimum, so as to not draw attention to themselves. Elsewhere, Ela was fidgeting about, unable to keep still for more than a moment's time as Jager stood by her side, looking on with an expression of concern.

"You okay Ela?"

"No….I'm more nervous than anything right now…."

"Is it because of yesterday?"

"Yes….if the rumors are true….I don't know what I'll do…."

Jager's mind went blank as he didn't know what advice to offer this time. The only thing he could really do was offer her a reassuring pat on the back as he scanned around the rest of the group, almost as if he was searching for the rest of his GSG 9 squadmates in the sea of bodies. His thought process was cut short however, as everyone fell silent in the corridor. His attention guided him towards the entrance at the far end, where Thatcher was leading three other people in diamond formation. Two of them were easily identified as the South Korean operatives based by look and appearance as Echo pointed them out to Buck and Mute, meaning that the one that was bringing up the rear was the Polish operative. Everyone was looking at the four with such intent in their eyes, you'd almost think they were trying their absolute hardest to intimidate them, but even if they were, not one of them seemed frightened in the slightest measure. Reaching the group, Thatcher signaled for the other three to be at ease as he addressed the rest of the team.

"Team."

There was a simultaneous salute from everyone in the crowd, with Thatcher giving the signal to be at ease.

"Some of you may know that we were getting new people to join Team Rainbow, and as you can already tell, they have arrived. So, allow me to introduce you lot to them."

He gestured towards the male of the three, who was also one of the two South Korean operatives. His shoulders appeared rather broad as he stood there, an aura of silence radiating around. In his hand, there was a mask of sorts that he was carrying, and to be honest, it did look a bit intimidating.

"This, is Chul Kyung Hwa. Code name: Vigil."

The South Korean bowed to the crowd before resuming his blank stare. He particularly caught the attention of the three in the back as they watched on, visibly trying to gauge the emotions of the three people who were standing with Thatcher.

"Kinda reminds me of Aiden…" Echo whispered.

"Yeah, I can see that…" Mute replied.

Thatcher then gestured toward the woman that was on the other side of him. She appeared to be a bit more casual compared to her male counterpart, sporting glasses, and a beanie along with her hair being tied up in two braids that hung by the side of her face, with the rest of her hair covered by the beanie.

"This woman here, is Grace Nam. Code name: Dokkaebi."

The South Korean did the same as Vigil, bowing to everyone before her. There was something about her made her seem more playful compared to her partner. Echo however, seemed to have a look of surprise as he eyed Dokkaebi.

"Don't tell me you're falling for her Masa," Buck teased, playfully punching the Japan native in the shoulder.

"I'm not, I just remembered that I know Grace. She was the woman who I collabed with in South Korea during my tech adventures."

Thatcher took a step to the side as he gestured toward the last remaining newcomer.

"Lastly, this is Zofia Bosak. Code name: Zofia."

The hearing of the name struck Ela like a freight train as the name rang in her ears as she uncomfortably stared at the woman that is her older sister. What she was thankful for for the time being, was that Zofia hadn't noticed her….yet.

"Anyways team, feel free to introduce yourselves to our newest residents. Believe it or not, they've actually been with us for some time now, it's just that they were deployed in different remote locations for various missions and what not, but they're here now. Other than that, not much else to say for today. Meeting is now dismissed."

Thatcher took his leave as everyone's attention was still focused on Rainbow's three newest arrivals. Ela was trying her best to keep herself hidden from Zofia's line of sight by positioning herself behind Jager, who was making no move to stop her. Echo was still awestruck that an old friend of his had actually been a part of Rainbow, and was even more surprised to see her in person again. Most of the people in the crowd dispersed, leaving only the select few of Echo, Buck, Mute, Ela, Jager, Ying, Smoke, and Sledge. With the other three, Vigil blankly looked at the remaining members before taking his turn to leave as he proceeded down the corridor in search of the armory. The trio of guys watched him pass by, almost feeling shivers run down their spines as they nearly made eye contact with him.

"Another silent strong type it seems…" Mute noted.

While the three were busy staring off into space as Vigil kept walking, Echo almost felt himself get taken off his feet as someone collided into him with a running hug.

"Woah!"

Turning his head back around, he started to blush at the sight of Dokkaebi hugging him in front of the other two who were trying their best now to hold their laughter at Echo's embarrassment. Feeling compelled, he returned the gesture to which Ying looked on in confusion. Dokkaebi eventually broke the hold, smiling up at Echo.

"Good to see you again Masaru!"

"Likewise Grace…"

"And who is this friend of yours Masa?" Ying questioned, striding over the group.

"Oh, Siu! This is an old friend of mine I met in South Korea. Siu, this is Grace. Grace, this is Siu…..she's my girlfriend."

Dokkaebi bowed in turn to Ying.

"Pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure is mine Grace."

" _Thank Christ that went easier than I thought…"_ Echo internally stated.

Buck and Mute were still trying to keep their laughter muffled as Echo was still stuck in the situation, and he shot both of them a daring glare as a means to shut up, but it only made them start to laugh more at the Japan native's misfortune. Meanwhile, Ela was still clinging onto Jager's shirt from behind as she kept sneaking glances at Zofia. Jager audibly let out a sigh as he kept watching her behavior.

"Y'know, she's eventually going to-"

Before he could finish his statement, Zofia's gaze settled on the two as Jager now stood there with a blank look on his face, with Ela going into full retreat behind him.

"...spot us…" he sighed, raising a hand to his forehead as he looked at the ground.

Ela could soon hear her sister's footsteps drawing close to them, but Jager was the one who was keeping his composure as the the eldest of the Bosak sisters approached him.

"And who might you be if I may ask?" Zofia questioned, looking at the two, mainly at Jager.

"Marius Streicher. Member of the GSG 9 crew here at Rainbow and also…..Ela's boyfriend," he stated, mumbling the last bit.

Zofia quietly chuckled to herself at the mention of the word "boyfriend" as her focus was now more on Jager.

"I always thought she would find herself a special someone. Glad to meet you Marius."

Jager smiled at the compliment, but his attention was diverted back to Ela, who was now peering around his shoulder. Catching her off guard, he quickly stepped off to the side, fully exposing Ela to Zofia. Ela could feel just about every thought in her mind escape her as she was now standing face to face with her older sister, whose demeanor had now become a bit more serious, but still remained calm. For Zofia though, just about the same thing had happened to her. Every thought she had at the time seemingly escaped her in haste, leaving her mind blank as she looked at Ela. It had been an _extremely_ long time since the two had last talked, and today would now prove to be the challenge to see if there was still a bond between the Bosaks.


	9. Chapter 9: Rekindling

**Author's Note: Heyo, Chapter 9 is finally here. So with this chapter, I do want to address something, and that's the consistency of chapters being published. I know a few chapters ago I promised you guys that I would try to get one chapter out every Friday, but with the time it took to write these past two chapters, that's proving to be rather difficult. So rather than weekly updates, expect a new chapter out every two weeks. The extra week I can use as time to think and also take a break as need be, but I still will try my hardest to provide you guys with the upcoming chapters. That's all I just wanted you guys to know and that a weekly update schedule was starting to take its toll on me.**

 **Until then, enjoy reading Chapter 9 guys and I hope that you all continue to enjoy it to the fullest :)**

* * *

 _June 3,2018_

 **Location: Hereford Base, Herefordshire, UK**

 **Time: 4:17**

Awkward silence was filling the air in the corridor as the Bosak sisters stared one another down, with Jäger uncomfortably standing off to the side with a few other spectators watching on in the forms of Buck, Echo, Ying, Dokkaebi, Mute, Sledge, and Smoke. The two S.A.S members appeared as if they could've cared less for the situation since it wasn't their fight, but the five people further back had their interest piqued as the long lost siblings were locked in their stalemate. Jäger uneasily looked across at his teammates for help, but their expressions offered no help, leaving him stuck on the far side of the corridor as he let out a defeated sigh.

" _Thanks for the help guys…"_ Jäger thought, defeated by the situation.

At the other end of the corridor, there were hushed voices amongst the group of five as they watched on in a not so discreet manner, given how exposed they were to Jager's line of sight, but nonetheless, their conversation went on unheard by him and the two S.A.S squad members.

"What's up with them?" Echo murmured.

"You don't know? Ela there is Zofia's little sister. Zofia talked about her every now and again when we were out on deployment," Dokkaebi whispered.

"Then what's with the mixed emotions? You'd think they would be happy to see one another again," Mute peeped.

"Not in this relationship. Zofia always mentioned how Ela never really reciprocated her sisterly love to her," Dokkaebi quietly replied.

The tension between the sisters was extremely unsettling, especially for Jäger as he continued to uncomfortably watch on from the side, chewing his lip as he looked back and forth at the two.

"Elżbieta…" Zofia uttered.

"Zofia…" Ela mumbled.

It was the first exchange of words that the two had had in the longest time. For all both knew, the last time they spoke with one another was when Ela had returned home upon receiving the grave news of their father's untimely demise. That was really one of the last few times that had spent time together in such close proximity, but ultimately once enough time had passed, Ela soon returned to the military life, but actually stayed back in Poland in order to pass the GROM Selection Test. Ever since then, there had always been a wedge driven between the two, and it was lodged in _deep_.

"How….have things been?" Zofia nervously asked.

"Fine….things have been fine," Ela stuttered.

Each word exchanged almost seemed to be forced out from their throats as several emotions and thoughts swelled within them. Love, hate, anger…..there was a lot to list and only a _very_ select few fit the situation for the time being.

"...It's certainly nice to talk to you again," Zofia commented.

"How did you even get involved with Rainbow?" Ela questioned.

"Personal contacts. The trail eventually lead up to Six and I signed on three months later after you left for here."

"But why follow me?"

"I saw no reason to stay back in GROM if you were going into the most elite CTU in the world. I wanted to come on board as well, and after convincing my husband that everything would be fine, I joined."

A look of anger crossed Ela's face for a brief moment at the realization that she was still being monitored by Zofia. It was something that she had tried to escape from in the past due to her strong dislike of her and she thought she had managed to do so, but apparently that wasn't the case anymore now that Zofia had joined up with Team Rainbow.

"Why do you always do this? I want to go out to live my own life, but you're always following me like a stray dog."

"I don't follow what you mean by that."

"The hell you don't! You're always trying to come back into my life for God knows what reason when I'm just trying to live independently!"

Anger was rising in Ela's throat as Zofia looked at her with a slightly confused look. Jäger tried to stand in between as a means to defuse the situation.

"Alright Ela, I think you've made your point…" Jäger stated.

"No, I clearly haven't if she just keeps on following me, everywhere I fucking go! She just hangs onto me like a damn shadow, and she somehow just finds me every...god...damn...time!"

Jäger gently placed his hands on her shoulders, looking her dead in the eye.

"Ela, that's enough. You and Zofia have said enough in this exchange."

"So are you taking her side now?!"

"What? No I-"

Not wanting to hear Jäger's argument, she quickly pushed him off to the side, almost knocking the German to the ground as he stumbled. Taking the open opportunity, she brought herself toe to toe with Zofia, who was keeping surprisingly calm.

"I'm tired of you constantly trying to be in my life. I've already told you several times to leave me alone!"

"Elżbieta…..I only do it to protect you. To ensure that you're safe."

"Well I'm fine without your protection. If I've managed this long without you being in my life, then why do you keep trying?!"

"Well…..you're my little sister, so it almost feels like a responsibility…"

Unsatisfied with the answer, Ela aggressively shoved Zofia back a few steps. Looking at her sister's face, Zofia could easily tell she was on the verge of tears as the argument between them continued to rage on.

"That's always your excuse Zofia! I'm not a child anymore. If anything, the only reason why I'm here today is because you helped me get past the struggle of dad's training! What did you or dad ever do for me?!"

"I don't think dad would appreciate-"

"Appreciate what? What is there to appreciate between us? What did he ever appreciate me for?"

The outburst left Zofia in a state of shock as her mouth remained slightly agape. She had more words to say, but she couldn't find the strength to force them out.

"I….uhm….."

"Exactly. He favored you over me because you were _willing_ to go into the military after you graduated. I didn't want that, so why do you think I ran off?"

"He didn't know how much you were struggling."

"Shut up! He knew exactly how much he was pushing me, and not once did he give me a break in order to make up for what I was lacking!"

"You're making it sound like dad hated you. He didn't, you know how much he loved you Elzbieta."

"He clearly never showed it!"

"Sis, he d-"

Without warning, Ela's arm suddenly whipped around, her palm striking across Zofia's left cheek. The corridor went deathly quiet, with just about everyone's mouths wide open in shock, and Jäger's eyes grew wide at what had just transpired before him as he stood there quietly. Zofia slowly raised a hand up to her cheek, which at this point was already bright red from the slap she just received. Turning her head back towards Ela, she could easily spot the tears flowing down her sister's cheeks as she stood there, shocked by her sister's action.

"Elzbieta…"

"Just shut up! You have never left me alone once in my life, even when I've said I don't need you! So for once in my life just do me a damn favor and JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

After shouting those last few words, Ela immediately turned and sprinted down the corridor, breezing past the other five before turning the corner and out of the sight. Both Zofia and Jäger stood in place with shocked expressions, with Jäger soon placing his hands on his hips as he let his head drop, sighing in frustration. Meanwhile, Zofia still had her hand resting against her cheek as she was still processing what just occurred between her and Ela. The group of five were once again in quiet conversation, still shocked by the event that just took place.

"Holy shit…" Buck muttered.

"Holy shit is right," Mute murmured.

The awkward tension made it difficult for the group to openly talk, as most of them were still processing what exactly had just taken place right before them. However, footsteps started to echo in the corridor coming from the entryway.

"Oi, did I miss the welcoming party or something?"

Everyone's heads craned around in the direction of the voice that called to them. Walking down the corridor was a man of a height around six-two, carrying a rather large bag of sorts with him. He was clean shaven and he sported a black hoodie, along with a black saggy beanie on his head. His jeans were also noticeably torn up, but it wasn't as noticeable as everyone was more focused on the face of the newcomer. Sledge, Smoke, and Mute however, shared a moment of realization as the man came closer to the spread out crowd.

"Holy hell…..Christian fucking Whitfield. Haven't seen you since our days working together in the S.A.S. How the fuck have you been mate? " Smoke asked, approaching the man with his hand extended.

"Pretty fucking good James. Literally just got back into the country a few days ago after some training over in the States," Christian responded, taking a firm hold of Smoke's hand and shaking it.

By this point, both Sledge and Mute had joined up with the other Brits, the two still in shock that a former squadmate of theirs had now joined Rainbow.

"The hell you doing here lad?" Sledge questioned.

Christian let out a hearty chuckle.

"You mean you lot didn't hear? Lads, I've been recruited into the team!"

The mouths of three S.A.S members practically hit the floor at the statement.

"Mate, you what? Get the fuck outta here!" Smoke laughed, playfully slapping Christian's shoulder.

"I'm dead serious James. I'm surprised Old Man Mike hasn't told you guys. Shit, does he even know that I was supposed to be here today?"

"He never told us that a fourth op would be arriving today. Said there was only three," Mute noted.

"Really? News must not have reached the ol' geezer somehow. So that means the only person who knew that I was arriving would be the director lady here…...uh...damn what's her name…no wait, don't tell me...I know this… I...know...this..."

"...Director Six?"

"Yeah! Her, that lady."

Christian nodded in agreement with his own statement as he beamed a smile at his old squadmates.

"So, where is Mike anyway?"

"Somewhere. He was here earlier when the other three arrived, but went off somewhere else," Smoke added.

A door further down the corridor opened up, garnering the attention of the four Brits. Out from it stepped Thatcher, his greying hair slicked back as he stretched his arms out.

"Hey there Old Man!" Christian called out.

Thatcher almost appeared to freeze in place at the sound of the voice. Returning his arms back to his side, he whipped his head in the direction that it came from. Looking down the corridor, he saw his other three squadmates and just past Smoke, there was his old mentee Christian Whitfield, wearing a cheesy smile and waving his arm about in the air towards Thatcher.

" _Fucking hell...this kid again….."_

Letting out a defeated sigh, Thatcher started striding his way over to the group with a mix of irritation and happiness as he held his hand out towards Christian. The younger man strongly took hold of it as he shook his mentor's hand.

"Christian. It's been awhile."

"No kidding. How've you lot been holding up?"

"Aside from having to put up with the bullshit that new arrivals bring, it's been okay. Just been dealing with the usual of making sure everyone's condition is up to standard and also responding to the usual terrorist threats."

Sledge rolled his eyes at the remark made by Thatcher as the eldest rainbow member shot him a glance.

"Can't say I'm surprised, that's been the grind for all of you," Christian laughed.

"Well, it's pretty much our daily life these days really," Smoke noted, folding his arms over his chest.

"Right, right. So, who are the other three that you mentioned earlier Marky Mark?"

Mute sighed in exasperation at the old nickname.

"Honestly thought you would've forgotten calling me that."

"Nope, not in the slightest," Christian chuckled.

"Anyways, the three others that showed up included two South Korean operatives, Chul and Grace. The third member is a Polish operative, Zofia."

Mute pointed out the two females of the trio that had arrived earlier. Both were still minding their own business as Dokkaebi was still in the catching up phase with Echo, and Zofia was quietly conversing with Jäger, who was leaned up against the near wall with his hands tucked away in his pockets, longingly staring at the floor.

"Where's the other guy?" Christian buzzed, scanning the corridor.

"He went off on his own somewhere. Probably went to go find the armory or something," Mute guessed.

"Hmm, should probably go there myself so I can drop all this off," he noted, patting the bag.

"What's even in it?"

"You lot take me down there first and I'll show ya."

"Fair enough," Thatcher sighed.

Taking point of the group, Thatcher guided the four down the long series of corridors throughout the building. During the trip, Smoke was pointing out certain parts of the building to Christian such as Doc's office, the dorm rooms, and other entrances and exits that lead to different parts of the base. After about a twenty minute hike through the corridors, the five finally arrived at the armory that now housed both guns and everyone else's gadgets. Thatcher pointed out the shelves that housed the operator's gadgets, ranging from Sledge's Caber to Lesion's Gu mines.

"That area over there is where you can store whatever your special gadget is."

"Hopefully there's enough room for it."

"That another wisecrack Whitfield?"

"Oi, oi, ease up Mike pal. I'm being dead serious this time. Look…"

Placing the bag on the ground, Christian took a few swift moments to unzip the bag open revealing his choice weaponry: a Valkyrie Armament belt-fed AR and a SPAS-12 that already had a suppressor mounted on it and tucked away in the corner was an M9 pistol. Under all of that, however, was what had Christian grinning. It was a mount of sorts that had a wired video feed connected to it, with the front end of the gadget slightly being bent in one direction with an additional scope at the bottom of it.

"What is that?" Sledge inquired, leaning down to get a closer look.

"It's this neat little thing called a CornerShot. Let's me peek into the rooms without having to expose myself to hostiles. Pretty fucking helpful if you ask me lads," Christian stated.

"How does it work?" Mute asked.

"It's simple really. Just attach the mount to my gun and I'm able to view what's around the corner when aiming with the video feed there that's also connected to the scope. Seems complex, but it's simple in terms of how it works in the field," Christian responded.

"Well, I'm sure we'll see it plenty of times on the battlefield. Just put it up somewhere on the shelves and we'll take care of the guns for you," Thatcher ordered.

Nodding, Christian carefully took hold of the CornerShot, carrying it over to the shelf. He meticulously scanned for any open space that was left. Eventually, he found a large enough space on the far left hand side to store his CornerShot on. After setting it down, his attention was quickly diverted to Storm's gadget as it rested next to Sledge's Caber.

"What is that?" Christian inquired, pointing out the glove.

The other four quickly gathered around, each gazing at the point where Christian's finger pointed to.

"Oh, that's Aiden's gadget there," Mute acknowledged.

"Who's that?"

"An American who arrived here a little over a month ago. He already shares a grudge with Seamus here," Mute pointed out.

"Oi, Mark, shut it mate," Sledge demanded.

"What did Seamus do this time?"

"He tried stealing the guy's headphones and promptly received a headbutt to the mouth in response for it. Actually left him with a bruised jaw believe it or not," Mute chuckled.

Sledge let out a frustrated sigh, rolling his eyes as Christian laughed at the notion. Thatcher cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the four.

"Alright lads, that's enough chatter for now. We got other shit to do and we still need to get, I suppose it's now four, new ops situated on base. Speaking of situated…."

He turned to Christian.

"You got a code name Whitfield?"

Christian smirked at the question as if he had been asked the easiest thing in his life.

"Sidewinder. That's the name. Sidewinder."

Thatcher himself couldn't help but slightly smile at the name.

"How fitting. Well, _Sidewinder_ , feel free to get your stuff squared away in your living quarters. Your room should be up on the second floor. Telling you now though, not many people up there except for Aiden, Chul, and Grace for now. Second floor living quarters were recently put in, so for now we're filling them in."

"Works for me Geezer."

Letting out an annoyed sigh, Thatcher patted Sidewinder on the shoulder before heading out of the armory himself, leaving the other three Brits and Scotsman to themselves. Between all of them, there was a lot to catch up on since the last time they had actually seen one another was back when they were in the S.A.S together, and with Sidewinder now a part of the team, it only strengthened the unity within them and the unity of the team as a whole.

* * *

 **Time: 5:42 P.M.**

Surprisingly, there was a large gathering of operatives in the rec room today, especially given the time of day. On the three couches, Blitz was chilling with IQ, Bandit was chatting Jackal up, and Thermite was sitting, phone in hand, while Hibana had her head rested up against his lap, flipping through her phone. At the main table, Echo was seated between Ying and Dokkaebi, Mute was sitting between Buck and Sidewinder, and Vigil was surprisingly talking with Kapkan and Glaz.

"So, you two used to be squadmates in the S.A.S?" Buck inquired.

"Indeed. Christian was always the energy of the group with James, but it just felt weird leaving him behind when the four of us were recruited into Rainbow," Mute responded.

"When Marky Mark here left, I almost shed a tear," Sidewinder sarcastically stated, feigning sadness.

"Christian, please," Mute sighed in exasperation.

The fellow Brit reclined back in his chair, laughing the entire way at Mute's reaction as the youngest member of Rainbow raised a palm to his face, shaking his head. After a few more moments passed by, both Blackbeard and Valkyrie walked into the room. The moment Sidewinder caught Valkyrie in his line of sight, he practically almost fell out of his chair, with Mute having to quickly catch him before he fell flat to the floor.

"Jesus Christian…" Mute sighed,

"I'm fine, mate, I'm fine," Sidewinder noted, regaining his balance.

Managing to reseat himself, his eyes still tracked Valkyrie's movements in the room. Her physique was practically almost the opposite of his: she was surprisingly muscular, compared to Sidewinder being tall and slim. However, his eyes soon wandered down to her hips where his gaze was soon focused on her behind.

" _Hoooolyyy shit…."_

Mute waved his hand in front of Sidewinder in an attempt to get his attention, but ultimately failed as his squadmate had his gaze _well trained_ on Valkyrie.

"Jesus Christian, not even a full day here and you already look love struck," Mute declared, sighing.

"Shit Mark, I might just be…" Sidewinder's voice trailed.

"Who caught his eye?" Buck chimed, raising an eyebrow.

"That blonde chick there with the tattoos...god damn she's got an ass on her…." Sidewinder whistled.

Buck craned his neck towards Valkyrie, who was now sitting at the table with Blackbeard, both casually minding their own business. Taking a moment, he looked back at Sidewinder, then back at Valkyrie, and then back at Sidewinder again.

"I can see it happening," Buck bluntly stated.

A look of surprise crossed Mute's face upon hearing Buck's response, with Sidewinder nodding in approval to Buck's words.

"Sebastien, I swear to God you're like the guy who just somehow predicts relationships happening here on base. I mean, first you predicted Marius and Ela, and now you're predicting that Christian's gonna get it with Meghan," Mute noted.

"To be fair, first one I predicted was Yumi and Jordan, and now look where they're at," Buck pointed out, pointing in the direction of the couple.

"If I'm being honest though, I'm _almost_ hoping that this prediction is wrong," Mute sighed.

"Whaaaaat? Mark, mate, c'mon. Cut me some slack," Sidewinder huffed, his shoulders slumping.

Mute chuckled at his old friend's annoyance, and even Buck couldn't help but laugh at it too. A few more minutes went by, and soon enough both Storm and Ash arrived in the room, with Storm looking more tired than usual as his steps were seemingly a bit sluggish, and surprisingly, Ash had her hair down rather than up in its usual braided style.

"Aiden! You're finally back man," Buck happily stated.

"Indeed I am. I take it we missed the arrival of the new people?"

"Only by like an hour something. Two of them are actually here in the room right now."

Buck first pointed out Vigil, who was at the end of the table in a deep conversation with Kapkan. Glaz had apparently left his seat, but was soon found in the corner with his art supplies set up.

"That man there is Chul. He's one of the two South Korean operatives. I almost think you two could get along given your silent natures," Buck snickered.

"Perhaps," Storm replied.

Buck then pointed out Dokkaebi, who was still in happy conversation with Echo and Ying.

"That's Grace over there. She's the other South Korean, and apparently also an old friend of Masa from when he was spending a tech adventure in the country."

"Define 'old friend' in this case."

Buck snorted at the comment for he knew what he meant and soon enough the two Brits even broke into a fit of childish laughter.

"Nah, not in the way you're thinking Aiden. Old friends as in they worked together on stuff."

"Right, gotcha."

"Hey now, don't be forgettin' about me mate," Sidewinder piped up.

"Aiden, this is Christian. He's an old friend of mine and the rest of the S.A.S from when we all worked together in the unit some time ago," Mute added.

Sidewinder longingly looked the tall American up and down a few times, amazed by his stature. He knew that Sledge was well built himself, but Storm appeared to have surpassed that in Sidewinder's eyes.

"Wait, is this the dude who has that cool glove thing?" Sidewinder asked.

"Indeed I am," Storm blandly responded.

"And that name…...oh yeah, you're the guy who bopped Seamus there in the jaw! The boys were telling me the story earlier, and good on ya mate for putting him in his place," Sidewinder nodded.

Storm shrugged at the compliment as he reminisced on the events of his first full day on base. It started off so normal for him, only for it to quickly turn hostile when Sledge tried starting a fight with him. It could've gotten real ugly if it wasn't for Thermite being there, but ultimately the day still ended in a world of chaos. The breakdown, the visit to Doc's office...there was a shit ton that occurred.

"Who's the lovely lady with you?" Sidewinder inquired, his focus shifting over to Ash.

"I'm his girlfriend, Eliza," Ash bluntly stated.

"Christian, I _highly_ suggest you stop right there before you do something stupid," Mute chirped.

"Woah there Marky what're you trying to say there? Sounds like you're implying that I'm not always doing something stupid," Sidewinder chuckled.

"Dear God help me…." Mute sighed.

The three others laughed at Mute's misfortune since he was left to help Sidewinder get situated on base. While the men continued to laugh, Ash splintered off from them, striding her way over to Thermite and Hibana. Reaching the two, she rested her arms on the top of the couch, leaning forward, looking down at Hibana.

"Hey," Ash greeted.

Hibana looked up from her phone, resting it on her chest.

"Hey. How'd things go with Aiden last night?"

"Interesting to say the least…."

"Oh dear…"

Promptly, Hibana sat up from her position before standing up entirely from the couch.

"C'mon, sit and tell me all about it."

Motioning towards the open spot, Ash took a seat, slumping a little bit. Hibana moved herself behind the couch, taking hold of Ash's hair, carefully straightening it out behind her.

"Alright Eliza, what went down?"

"Well, it wasn't anything too serious. Dinner went well enough, but it was just some things that happened before and after it."

"Such as?"

Ash's eyes slowly glided over in the direction of where Storm was. He still appeared to be within earshot, but he looked _way_ too caught up in conversation with the other three.

"On the ride up….he ended up asking me the question of why I fell for him."

"Oh really? What else did he ask?" Hibana questioned, starting to braid Ash's hair.

"Well, he just asked for reasons pertaining as to why I chose him. I mean, I straight up told him why: he wasn't the type to actively start hitting on any of us and his quietness and shyness are what make him interesting."

"So more or less you're a fan of the strong silent types," Hibana chuckled.

"That's one way of putting it," Ash replied.

About halfway through her work, Hibana shook her head as she undid the braiding she had done and went to start the process all over again.

"What happened afterwards?"

"We got to the hotel, both us tired as hell. He pretty much just face planted into the mattress and we both just laid there on the bed staring at the ceiling for some time in silence."

"Lemme guess….one of you felt a certain urge," Thermite joked.

"Jordan," Hibana chided.

The Texan quietly laughed to himself as Hibana rolled her eyes, continuing with her braiding work.

"To be fair, he isn't wrong Yumi. There were certain….urges to say the least…"

"Okay…..and who took the initiative?"

"I did. It really just started with a simple kiss, but it quickly grew into something else."

"Soooo…..did you guys do it then?"

Ash shook her head.

"No. His PTSD kicked in again."

"Oh shit…"

A defeated sigh escaped Ash's lips.

"Unfortunate as it was, it's probably best anyway. It did feel rushed, so in a way I'm grateful that it stopped us."

Both Thermite and Hibana nodded in agreement as Hibana finished putting together the last braid in Ash's hair.

"I'm sure you two will eventually tie the knot. Just give it the necessary time," Hibana assured, patting Ash's shoulder.

With the girls now occupied in conversation, the laughter back at the table of four had now died down as they were getting back into more serious conversation.

"So, how did it go with meeting the three, well four, arrivals?" Storm asked.

"It was…..mixed," Mute stammered.

Storm raised a questioning eyebrow at the statement, especially since Mute wasn't one to really stutter his words like so.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well….Ela's sister Zofia was one of the arrivals."

Storm's eyes briefly widened at the finding.

" _Wait, so I actually called that?"_ he thought.

"Okay, and what exactly happened?"

"They started talking and soon enough an argument broke out between the two. Marius tried stepping in to calm Ela, but she shoved him out of the way and ultimately slapped Zofia straight across the face. After that, she ran off somewhere."

"Jesus Christ…."

Mute solemnly nodded along with the remark. It was most certainly unexpected for that to occur, but in the end, what could they do? It wasn't their fight nor did they have any reason to get involved. It was something that would clearly have to be solved between the two sisters, and providing assistance to either one would most certainly prove to be difficult. For all they knew however, only Jäger would prove to be the peacekeeper between the two...something they most definitely needed.

* * *

 **Time: 6:58 P.M.**

It may have been only close to three hours since the whole incident, but what was exchanged between her and Zofia still made her cry while she laid on her bed, clutching one of her pillows close to her. After she had slapped her, she sprinted all the way back to her room as a means to seclude herself from everyone. She knew the amount of ridicule she would potentially get from her fellow teammates, but as long as they didn't see her the way she was now, then she could snivel in private. However, a knock soon echoed off her door.

"Go away…" Ela demanded.

Another knock rang out.

"I said go away!"

The handle on the door was tried, and ever so slowly it opened as Ela realized she had forgotten to lock her room door. Turning from her position on the bed, she chucked the pillow she had at the door in a fit of anger and sadness. The pillow itself impacted the edge of the door, causing the opened door to briefly pull back before it was opened enough to the point that the figure slid in through the crack. Looking up at the figure, she quickly recognized the person as Jäger.

"Rude to throw a pillow at someone like me," Jäger jokingly stated, picking up the pillow.

"What do you want Marius?" Ela huffed, changing her position so that she was facing away from him.

"I only came here to talk is all. I'm not here on Zofia's behalf or here to start a fight, I just want to sit and talk. Am I allowed to do that or should I leave?" Jäger sternly asked.

Silence filled the void that stood between the two as Jäger was practically staring daggers in Ela's direction. After some hesitation, Ela let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine….we can talk…." Ela murmured.

"Thank you…" Jäger breathed.

Slowly strolling over to her, he took a spot on the edge of the bed, resting the pillow in his lap. Ela still refused to look at him, but it didn't matter for the time being as Jäger himself didn't bother trying to make eye contact and instead he focused more on staring at the floor, resting his elbows on the pillow as he leaned forward.

"I'm sure it's easy to tell why I'm here right now," Jäger noted.

"I wonder what it could be…" Ela sarcastically sighed.

"You know what you did wasn't right. Especially when it was in front of a decent sized crowd," he retorted.

Ela curled up more tightly at the comment, almost as if she was trying to block out the truth in Jäger's words. She didn't want to hear any of it, no matter how right he was.

"Ela, you can't run from it."

"I almost did…"

"No you didn't. You heard what Zofia said. Three months after you came here she got recruited herself, but you're only saying almost because she wasn't here for the past several months."

Jäger turned his head toward her to see if that would get her attention, but to no avail. Ela could feel the anger in her starting to rise once more as Jäger's words kept clawing away at her. The truth was something that she didn't want to accept, and she didn't like just how right Jäger was right now.

"Whatever…"

"Is that all you can formulate? After what you di-"

The outburst caused Ela to hastily sit up from her position, putting her in a staredown with Jäger, who immediately went silent as the two locked eyes.

"Don't even try to start that bullshit with me Marius."

The German didn't know how to respond to the current situation. He knew that he crossed a line the moment Ela had given him the death stare.

"You clearly lack the ability to guilt trip anyone. You just tried doing it to me, and look where it got you. You can't even speak up for yourself right now because you _know_ I'm right in this situation."

Jäger sighed in defeat at the statement. He had nothing else to back it up, and ultimately he just kept quiet as Ela fell back onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling while Jäger went back to staring down at the floor.

"I don't know what else to say to you or if there even is anything left to say…" Jäger sighed.

Setting the pillow aside, he went to go stand, but almost immediately felt a pull on his sleeve. Craning his head around, he saw Ela was clinging onto him while looking away from him.

"You obviously want something now…"

"Just stay with me for a little bit."

"Reason being?"

Ela was visibly blushing by this point as a slight smile crept up onto Jäger's lips.

"Just keep me company for the time being if you would…..please?" she muttered.

"Well, scoot over some and I will," Jäger smirked.

Rolling her eyes at the comment, Ela moved over to the point where Jäger had enough space to lay himself down. Taking the chance, he fully laid himself down on the bed, with Ela still facing away from him. Surprisingly, he wrapped his arm around her, lightly cradling her at the nook of his elbow. There was still a barrier of silence between them as Jäger still left a few inches of space between them while he stared up at the ceiling, and Ela continued facing the wall. Eventually though, Ela slowly reached towards Jäger's hand taking hold of it as she slid herself slightly closer to him. Though she would refuse to admit it right now, just his touch was comforting to her as they lay there. It gave her the security that she needed at the moment, and she was ever so thankful for it. Soon enough, Jäger flipped onto his side and pulled himself closer to Ela, bringing his other arm around and resting it against her stomach.

"Marius…"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry for earlier…"

"Earlier as in two hours ago, or earlier as in the last ten minutes?"

"For yelling at you."

Jäger quietly chuckled at the response.

"Nah, you had every right in being angry with me there."

"It just didn't feel right to react that way towards you."

"Please, I would've lashed back if someone was trying to berate me like I was with you. What I did was wrong, and I can only blame the heat of the moment for my erratic behavior. It wasn't right of me to start shouting at you like that."

He squeezed Ela in a rear hug, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I will say this though, you definitely have a long road of reconciliation to walk at some point."

"Don't remind me…"

"Just sayin is all, love."

Ela soon shifted herself to the point where she was facing Jäger, but was more or less looking at his chest given the height difference between the two.

"I just don't want to put up with it…"

She shifted her gaze downwards, puffing out a sigh. Jäger could easily detect the distress she was in and instinctively pulled her closer to him to the point that her head was resting against his chest. He didn't know what else to offer for advice, and he bit his tongue on trying to further the conversation since that would only sour the mood for both of them. Gently, he used the hand closest to her head and started to slowly run it through her hair. For the time being, there wasn't much else to do except to just lay there with Ela. There was a lot to address and deal with, but for now, he thought it best to hold off on all that unwanted stress. He knew that whatever was coming their way would eventually have to be dealt with, but for now, he only wanted to benefit from having very little trouble to deal with.

* * *

 **Time: 9:21 P.M.**

Despite it being relatively late, the rec room was still packed with a few members. Storm was sitting with Buck, Mute, Sidewinder, and surprisingly Vigil at the main table, Blitz was playing cards with Bandit at the far end of the table, Caveira, Hibana, and Ash were sitting on the couches, and Thermite and Thatcher were talking privately by the entryway to the room. It was an interesting sight to see this amount of operatives at once, and Bandit was audibly heard groaning about his losing streak to Blitz.

"Nein! Always picking the wrong damn card…" Bandit sighed, putting his head in his hands.

Blitz chuckled at his squadmate's misfortune as he reshuffled the deck, before quickly dealing it out once more.

"Have to say, these strategies Mark taught me are rather effective," Blitz chuckled.

"Wenn ich wieder verliere, zerschlage ich dich mit deinem Schild," **(If I lose again, I'm bashing you with your shield.)** Bandit snarled, picking up his hand.

The five at the table were quietly playing a game of cards themselves, with Buck currently deciding on what card to put down next. Slowly and carefully, he put his selected card down, with all eight eyes trained on him. Confident in his move, he nodded, prompting Vigil to go next. The South Korean speedily picked his card, almost putting it down within the blink of an eye, surprising everyone at the table, most notably Mute, who also happened to be next. He appeared rather hesitant with his choice, but nonetheless put his face down on the pile. Sidewinder carefully looked over his hand, scanning for what card would do him justice in his current situation. Setting his chosen pick down, Storm craned his head towards him, squinting his eyes.

"I call bullshit on that drop," he stated.

Sidewinder leaned back in his chair, motioning for Storm to go check the pile himself. The American immediately reached for the top two cards, flipping them face up. The one Sidewinder had put down was a nine, and the one under it a king.

"Looks like I called your bluff," Storm smirked.

The other three at the table chuckled at Sidewinder's expense as he took the decent sized pile of cards into hand. There was a clear look of agitation covering his face as he now stared at the massive line of cards he had to deal with. Meanwhile at the couches, Ash was helping braid Caveira's hair while Hibana was lounging about on the next couch, flipping through her phone.

"So you and Aiden didn't tie it off Eliza?" Caveira inquired.

"For the fourth time Taina, no. We didn't," Ash sighed.

"Remind me again what forced you two to stop."

"His PTSD. He had another episode, albeit brief, it was still somewhat frightening to deal with. Honestly I think he might've bruised my boob from that because his grip _really_ intensified."

"You make it sound like you didn't enjoy that," Caveira snickered.

"Oh shut up Taina," Ash retorted, earning a laugh from the Brazilian.

"Hey, either of you got anything going on tomorrow, like, at all?" Hibana questioned, flicking her finger against the illuminated screen.

"Not that I know of," Ash responded.

"Yeah, I think I actually have tomorrow off now that I think about it," Caveira noted.

"You guys want to go out and do something together then? Both Jordan and I were thinking of going somewhere, but we don't know where or what to do for that matter."

"So, more or less an outing for people who got the day off tomorrow. Just a matter of deciding what to do for the day," Ash stated.

"Basically, yeah," Hibana replied, nodding.

Ash turned her head towards Storm, who was intently watching Vigil put his card down.

"Aiden," she called.

The tall American whipped his head up in the direction of her voice.

"Yeah?"

"You got anything scheduled for tomorrow?"

He shook his head.

"Not that I know of. I'm most likely free though. Why do you ask?"

"Yumi's trying to see who's available for tomorrow since her and Jordan want to do something with some of the other people here on base. I think what we need is a head count and then we can determine what to do."

"Works for me."

"Your move Aiden," Sidewinder pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah gimme a second."

His attention returned back to the game as he set his card down, sending the move over to Buck. Ash turned back to the other two girls, bringing her focus back onto finishing up braiding Caveira's hair.

"Well, that answers for one person," Ash mentioned, finishing up the last braid.

"Who are some other people that we could invite?" Caveira asked.

"Let's see…..there's Ryad, Masa, Siu, Tina, Meghan…..there's just about everyone on base, but I know Miles and Jack are busy with other stuff tomorrow, and I think Craig said he was going with them, so that knocks three people off the list," Ash recalled.

"May as well try to bring in Masa and Siu if possible. I'm sure Tina could use a break since I know how busy she's been with training and what not. Poor girl looks like she's gonna collapse on the floor every time I pass by her in the hall," Hibana mentioned.

An eruption of laughter emitted from the table as Mute had his head in his hands upon being called out for failing to fake out everyone in the game, resulting in him getting the next huge pile of cards. Normally, he wasn't one to fumble like that, but Vigil's quickness and determination was throwing him for a loop tonight.

"Fuckin' hell man…" he sighed.

"Can't believe it happened to the guy who's so good at cards," Buck chuckled, shuffling his hand about.

"If Julien was here right now he'd be laughing in my face. Oh well, at least that's one person I'll always beat in cards," Mute snickered.

After Mute picked up the massive pile, the round began with Vigil and soon enough the moves were going around like clockwork once more. Jackal soon strolled his way into the room, with Ash almost waving to him in an instant.

"Hey Ryad."

His head turned toward the three girls.

"Ah, buenas noches amigas. **(Good evening girls)** What's up?"

"Question for you."

"Well, shoot then."

"You got anything planned for tomorrow?"

Jackal took a moment to think, raising a hand to his chin as he thought.

"Hmmm….nah. Got nothing really. Why do you ask?"

"Some of us are planning to spend the day somewhere tomorrow with our days off and we're also trying to see right now who has tomorrow off and if they want to join in. You down for it?"

"Yeah, I'm game."

"Sweet."

Nodding, Jackal made his way over to Blitz and Bandit, seating himself at the spot between the two. Bandit was more focused than ever as he looked over his hand compared to the cards that Blitz had thrown down. The determination soon faded however, as the more he kept comparing the two, the more he realized just how little chance of success he had and ultimately he folded his hand, letting out another agitated groan.

"Damn it…"

Blitz snickered to himself as he gathered the cards once more, constantly shuffling them in his hand.

"Ryad, you want in?" Blitz asked.

"Nah, not tonight amigo."

Blitz shrugged at the call and soon enough dealt his hand and Bandit's. Bandit immediately took caution as soon as he picked up his cards, carefully analyzing them to ensure he understood the value of each one as he stared Blitz down.

"I'm beating you this time Elias," he stated with determination.

"If you say so Dominic," Blitz smirked.

While the two went back at it with their card game, the five men huddled around the middle of the main table were still heavily into theirs. All of them had managed to get their hands down to less than five cards, with Storm and Mute holding two, Vigil and Buck with three, and Sidewinder being the lone person with four. There was still a high possibility of any of them winning the game, but it was just a matter of who would make the mistake. Sidewinder was the first to go, placing his down, immediately followed by Storm hastily throwing his down on the pile. There was hesitation from everyone else as they didn't know whether or not to call it bluff or not. They all nodded, keeping their silence as Buck placed his down, soon followed by Vigil as it circled back to Mute and Sidewinder. All four of them longingly stared Storm down as he held the last card in his hand and threw it down on top of the pile.

"Bullshit!" the four simultaneously cried out.

"If it ain't an Ace, you know what that means Aiden," Sidewinder snickered, reaching for the cards.

Pulling the top one off, Sidewinder held it face down for a hot second before flipping it over, revealing an Ace of Spades, much to the dismay of everyone else at the table as Storm leaned back in victory.

"Well...shit…" Buck stammered.

"GG guys," Vigil calmly stated.

"Aiden, you are lucky mate," Mute noted, putting his remaining cards on the pile.

Storm shrugged at the remark as he leaned forward on the table.

"Luck is usually how my winning streaks come about," he joked, "By the way, question for you all."

"What is it?" Sidewinder inquired.

"Not sure if you guys heard Eliza ask it, but any of you got anything, anything at all, planned for tomorrow?"

"Mark and I got team exercises in the morning and evening, so we're out," Buck noted, with Mute nodding in agreement.

"Grace and I will still be busy getting our things moved in on base, so there's that for us," Vigil pointed out.

"Christian, what about you?" Storm asked.

"Surprisingly, I do not. I would've expected Geezer to have something planned out for me, but guess not, so I'm down for whatever it is you guys got planned."

Storm rotated his head in the direction of the three girls.

"Eliza, you can put Christian down on the list."

"Got it."

Returning his attention to the four other guys, he looked over at Buck.

"Tina got any plans?"

"For once, she doesn't. I know the past few days she's been hard at work in training, but I think either Jordan or Mike gave her the next few days off so she can rest up. Have you checked with Masa and Siu yet to see if they're available?"

"I haven't yet, but I think they'd be down for it regardless."

"Can I just ask something?" Sidewinder chirped.

The two shifted their attention over to the Brit.

"What's your question?" Storm inquired.

"That blonde chick I saw earlier….Meghan. Could one of you potentially see if she's available for tomorrow?"

Buck smirked at the request, as he knew _exactly_ why Sidewinder wanted Valkyrie to come along for the trip, Storm however hadn't been given the memo just yet.

"I can easily do that for you Christian," Buck happily responded.

"Sweet, thanks Sebastien."

"I think that's a good enough list to compile for tomorrow. Question now is, where the hell do we go?" Storm questioned, resting his cheek on his fist.

"Well, given how it's almost summer, why don't you guys go down to the beach or some place that could cool you all off. Lord knows how bad the heat can get sometimes," Buck mentioned.

The thought of the beach immediately made Storm and Sidewinder start to blush as they thought about their respective girls being clad in bikinis or other swimwear.

"Yeah….beach would be nice…actually, there is this resort I know of in Ibiza that we could head to. Right by the sea side and it practically has everything there for a day trip." Sidewinder hummed.

"I'm down for it," Storm replied, standing up from his seat.

"FUCK YEAH IBIZA BITCHES!" Sidewinder shouted, jumping up from his seat and punching the table.

It had been awhile since a portion of the team had gone out for an excursion of sorts. The last time they could remember heading out in such a group was last month when they went to that club in downtown. That was a fun night, and it was a much needed break from the work they had put in that week, but this one would prove to be different. Rather than it being out of total need for a day's vacation from base, it was something that they had planned so they weren't dying of boredom on base. Still, the thought lingered in the minds of Storm and Sidewinder the more their minds focused on it, and their faces became more red as they continued blushing. No matter to it in the end though, for a day off is a day off and they saw no need whatsoever to complain about the free time they were being given.


	10. Chapter 10: Adventure in Ibiza

**Author's Note: What's up guys, sorry for the delay on Chapter 10. Gave my a friend a few extra days to proofread the story to make sure that everything flowed smoothly and that it was looking neat. I have to say real quick though that I'm really happy with all the support you guys have given me this far and I appreciate you all. I only started working on this story about 2 months ago, and I'm really surprised with how well the story has been received by you all. Definitely gives me drive and motivation to keep on writing this to its fullest potential. Anyways, I'll stop rambling here so you guys can enjoy the Chapter.**

 **As a quick side note: I've recently started drafting up the first Chapter of another work of mine that's going to be titled Kodokuna Okami (Japanese for "The Lone Wolf) which will be a For Honor fanfic. So, if you're into medieval times as well, I would recommend checking it out once I've got the first Chapter up for it.**

 **Until then, I'll talk to you guys later, and once again, I'm really glad that you all are enjoying the story so far :D**

* * *

 _June 4, 2018_

 **Location: Hereford Base, Herefordshire, UK**

 **Time: 5:09 A.M.**

Despite it being as early as it was, the sun was already starting to rise over the horizon as it dawned on Hereford. Most of the team members were still fast asleep at this time, but for eleven certain operatives, it was the first task of today in which they _had to be_ up early. Storm was already wide awake and in the main corridor since he was used to getting up at such early times, Jackal was up too and all set with his gear, albeit tired due to his insomnia having kicked in again for him. Sidewinder was also surprisingly awake with his bag ready for the trip as the three casually went about doing whatever to pass the time in the corridor. What was a surprise for both Storm and Jackal, was the amount of tattoos that were dotted across Sidewinder's arms.

"Damn Christian, didn't think you were that heavy into ink," Storm commented, still examining the tattoos.

"Mate, these tats are only the beginning. Just wait until we get to the resort, you're gonna see the whole deal once we're by the pool," Sidewinder chuckled.

"It's been awhile since I've been back in my homeland. Can't say I remember the last time I was doing anything of interest in Spain…" Jackal noted, reminiscing on his life back in his home country.

"Well, there was your military life wasn't there?" Storm inquired.

"Yeah, but shit like that just becomes routine. I mean, when you first start off and are doing these things of going out to capture High Value Targets or intercept narcotic shipments, there's some thrill behind it. Once you get to the tenth one and beyond, it falls into the category of 'well, that's the fourth one this week, how typical,' and the interest just fades from there," Jackal remarked, rolling his shoulders as he continued to fight his exhaustion.

"How do you think I felt during my time in the PMCs? Literally every mission was either go clean house or kill everyone, apart from the one guy they wanted to interrogate. That routine shit is pretty much the reason I kept shifting around the PMC groups, I wanted to see if there was any change or difference, but nope. Same old song and dance everywhere I went," Storm sighed.

"Heh, isn't that practically the case here as well Aiden?" Jackal questioned, half-smirking.

"I mean, you're not wrong, but at the same time not right, if that makes sense. There's just something about this place that makes it feel distinctly different. Not to mention the people you meet here are more diverse," Storm remarked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Diverse is certainly one way of putting it," Sidewinder commented, snickering.

"Nice to see you gentlemen are wide awake."

The three immediately craned their heads toward the direction of the voice that called out to them. Coming down the corridor, was the Texan himself, Thermite. He had his drawstring bag wrapped around his shoulders, and beneath his shirt, one could still notice the heavy bandaging he had on his injury from days earlier.

"Surprised to see you actually managed to wake up and dress yourself without much of an issue," Storm mentioned, pointing out the injured shoulder.

"The meds Gustave provided really excel in blocking out the pain, so I had very little issue in getting my things ready," Thermite replied, gently pressing on his shoulder.

"I bet the meds aren't the only thing that are helping you recover amigo," Jackal snickered.

Thermite rolled his eyes at the remark as both Sidewinder and Storm laughed at the immature joke. However, Jackal wasn't wrong in the fact that someone had been helping Thermite with his recovery, since it was Hibana that had been helping him rebandage his wound constantly in order to catch any excess blood that might've been slipping through the stitched wound.

"So, here's my question: What made you and Yumi come up with this idea for today?" Jackal inquired.

Thermite half-shrugged at the question.

"We just really didn't know what to do since we were told last minute by Mike that we had the day off. So ultimately we just wanted to see if others were down to do a group outing if they had today off along with us."

"I can respect that."

"I do appreciate you guys coming along for this though. Kind of been wanting to do something with a group since the event at the club."

"Eh, I don't mind the time off. Although I am gonna have to get back to the training grind once it's all said and done," Storm noted.

Sidewinder nodded along with the statement.

"That's gonna be the same for me. Either tomorrow or the day after is when I officially start training and we most likely won't get another day off like this for awhile," Sidewinder added, sighing.

"It's gonna be the same for most of us Christian," Thermite remarked.

"Well what are they gonna have you do Jordan? Are they still going to have you tend to your usual duties despite your shoulder?" Storm questioned.

Thermite shook his head at the question.

"Nah. Mike and Six are gonna be giving me at least another week to recover. They said they wanted to ensure that I got the ability to move it around a good deal, rather than have to sit and work through the struggle of it."

"Even with the help of the meds?"

"Yeah, even with those it'd still be a struggle."

"You struggle enough as is Jordan," another masculine voice called out.

All heads rotated to face where the voice emanated from, and they were all met by the appearance of Echo, who had his bag at the ready, along with his hands tucked away into his pockets.

"What do you mean by that?" Thermite asked, raising a brow.

"I mean even if you weren't suffering from injury as is you'd still be somewhat of a train wreck. I still remember the night I found you after you'd finished working for the day. You looked like you were ready to drop straight to the floor out of exhaustion."

Thermite awkwardly scratched at his head as he began to recall the night himself.

"Yeah….I guess I was like that…."

"Honestly Jordan, just take a break from time to time otherwise you're gonna put yourself out when we need you most. Especially since you have someone who's close to you now."

Thermite started to blush a bit at the thought of Hibana with Echo bringing her up.

"Sometimes it's best to take a break from work and spend time with those close to you," Echo continued.

"You speaking from previous experience Masaru?" Jackal chuckled.

"Shut up…" Echo sighed, knowing Jackal was referring to his laziness and relationship with Ying.

"I'm amazed that none of the girls are awake yet. Would've expected at least one of them to be up by this time," Storm remarked.

"I mean, what do you expect mate. The ladies need their beauty sleep otherwise they become like savages when awake," Sidewinder mentioned, imitating a savage behavior, garnering a collective laugh from everyone in the corridor.

As much as it may have sounded mean, Storm, Echo, and Thermite couldn't help but agree with Sidewinder's statement. Having a girlfriend also meant giving them personal space, which was something all three excelled at so it wasn't going to be a major problem for them and they were content with it, especially Storm and Echo since they were the silent, reclusive types and often times weren't disturbed unless it was something urgent, or if their respective girlfriends were seeing them.

"They just better be awake within the next hour and ready to go. Flight leaves within the next couple of hours," Thermite noted, checking his watch.

"Shit, if it's leaving soon, why aren't we waking them up then?" Storm questioned.

"It's a private flight we got, so the staff on the plane are gonna be more patient than if we were rushing for a public flight," Thermite responded, adjusting his drawstring.

"So basically we don't have to worry about rushing them awake?" Sidewinder inquired.

"More or less. Just give them the time needed and we'll be out of here soon enough in order to get to Birmingham," Thermite responded, nodding.

"Some of us take less time than others Jordan," a feminine voice pointed out.

Before any of them had the chance to turn to see who it was, Storm immediately sensed the feeling of arms snaking around the length of his right arm. Ash was the first of the five women to show up, and if they were all being honest, they were surprised that she was the first one out of the others to arrive.

"Can't say I'm not surprised you're up first Eliza. If anything, I would've bet on Yumi or Taina to be here before you," Thermite commented, folding his arms over his chest.

"Well I'm here now aren't I? Won't lie though, it was a bit difficult waking up at this time since I'm used to getting about two or three more hours of sleep compared to this," Ash sighed, resting her head against Storm's arm.

Taking the notion, Storm slipped his arm out from Ash's arms before wrapping it around her shoulders and pulling her close to his side. The other four men looked on with slight smirks at the couple, but behind some of their eyes, one could easily detect hints of jealousy. There was only one reason of jealousy, and it was the fact that Storm had practically won Ash over in the matter of a week, while it took some of them months to even _gain_ her trust. Nonetheless, they couldn't deny the fact that the two were essentially the power couple on base, with Storm's towering stature and power, and Ash's confidence and team abilities made them practically a powerful combo.

"You're one to talk about needing sleep," Jackal drearily remarked.

"At least you'll have some time to sleep on the car ride up Ryad," Thermite commented, checking his watch once more.

Whilst doing a double take on the time, both Frost and Ying showed up among the group, with Frost trailing just behind Ying.

"Now just waiting on the other three," Echo noted, as Ying came up to his side, intertwining her hand with his.

Almost as if on cue, the other three women showed up with both Hibana and Caveira still looking drowsy as all hell, but Valkyrie appearing wide awake compared to the others.

"I take it everyone's ready? I already got our vehicles sorted out: six-seater Hummers. So, one will be filled and the other one will have one person by themselves in the back. Who's riding with who?" Thermite inquired, pulling out both sets of keys.

If they were going by couples, it was easy enough to determine who was going with who. Storm with Ash, Echo with Ying, and Thermite with Hibana, which in turn would leave Sidewinder, Jackal, Caveira, Frost, and Valkyrie as the lone folk.

"If we want to make it easy for ourselves, why not just go by couples in one and then everyone else in the other?" Echo questioned, giving a shrug.

"If we're doing that, I call dibs on the back seats," Jackal yawned.

"I'm fine with it," Storm stated.

"Any objections?" Thermite questioned, looking at the others.

There was a collective shake of heads from the remainder of the group, garnering a slight smile from Thermite.

"Who's driving then?"

"I'll drive," Storm and Sidewinder called out simultaneously.

With relative ease, Thermite tossed the keys to both men with Storm snatching it with one hand and Sidewinder catching the other set with both hands.

"Just don't crash boys," Thermite snickered.

Both Storm and Sidewinder shot the Texan slightly annoyed looks before casually rolling their eyes as they started to lead everyone out to the garage housing the vehicles that were stationed on base. Parked at the very front were the two, grey-colored Hummers that Thermite had arranged for them with both Storm and Sidewinder climbing into the driver seats. In Storm's vehicle, Ash took the front passenger seat, followed by Hibana and Thermite filling the middle row and then Echo and Ying taking the back row. In Sidewinder's, Valkyrie took the seat next to him, Frost and Caveira took the middle, and Jackal sprawled himself out in the back, almost passing out in an instant. The two driver's glanced up at each other, giving one another a nod as they started up the vehicles. Pulling out from the garage, the two Hummers started to hum their way along the road, bound for Birmingham. Today would mark another adventure for a small crew of Rainbow operatives, and it would certainly be something that they would enjoy for the hours to come.

* * *

 **Location: Ibiza, Spain**

 **Time: 2:23 P.M.**

The drive from the airport to the resort itself wasn't too long since it only took them about half an hour to get there once they were in Ibiza. Standing at the front entrance, they were all amazed by the exterior of the building as the scenery surrounding it only added to the presentation of the construct, making it appear even more beautiful than it already was in their eyes.

"So this is the place you've been to before Christian?" Valkyrie inquired, still gazing at the exterior.

"On a few separate occasions. If I had a few days off and the money at the time, then I'd fly down here to kick it," Christian replied, swinging his bag onto his shoulders.

The group pushed their way inside into the reception area where it was somewhat crowded, but with the size of the group, especially the height of the men, they were able to easily move their way up to the front desk where there were three people, two females and one male, to greet them as they gave the group a small bow of acknowledgment.

"Welcome to the Ibiza Beach Side Resort," the three chimed, "What can we help you with today?"

The group seemed a bit weirded out by how in sync the three receptionists appeared, but Thermite was the brave one to step forward as everyone else slightly shied away from the desk.

"Uhm, hello. I'm Jordan Trace, and this is my group. We made an arrangement of sorts that a group from, ahem, Team Rainbow would be here."

"Ohhhh, of course. You're the Team Rainbow crew, so nice to see you all," the man beamed, flashing a smile.

Ying shifted a bit uncomfortably at the overly happy atmosphere, but Echo reassuringly squeezed her hand as he exhaled a sigh himself.

"Well, we would like to inform you that we do have a variety of things to offer. There are our bars located on the first and second floors, VIP Lounge on the second floor, a billiards room, and of course there's the pool out back. If it also piques your interest, there is the beach for you to explore as well. If you have any questions, just come see one of us or any other staff members."

A majority of the group exchanged glances with one another as they were really caught off guard by the overjoyous behavior of the staff at the resort, but Sidewinder was the only one that appeared unaffected since he had previous experiences at the place.

" _Typical of the staff…"_ he thought, brushing some of his hair out of his face.

"Any suggestion as to where you guys want to go to first?" Thermite inquired, turning back to the group.

A large, collective proclamation of "Pool" rang throughout the area.

"Probably the best decision given this heat," Sidewinder noted as he started making his way for it.

The rest of the group followed Sidewinder's lead as he effortlessly glided through the corridors, snaking his way past oncoming staff members as he bounded towards the rear exit, that was in fact past one of the bars on the first floor. Exiting out onto the pool deck, the group was amazed by the spectacle of the pool as colored umbrellas dotted the edge of the glossy water. The sun itself made the water shimmer, giving off an all around peaceful vibe to the atmosphere that they stood in.

"So pretty…" Frost murmured.

"I'll say," Caveira chirped.

"Changing rooms are in that small building over there," Sidewinder noted, pointing in the direction of said building.

The minds of Echo, Thermite, and Storm started to wander at the sound of those words as their imaginations played out for them. The images and scenes of their girlfriends in their swimwear boggled their minds, making them blush out of excitement for the sight they would soon behold.

"Haven't even made our way over to the building yet and you boys are already thinking perversely," Caveira chided, rolling her eyes.

The three guys cleared their throats at the sound of Cav's remark in attempt to cover up their behavior, no matter how futile it was. Storm tried his hardest to become stone-faced, but the redness from blushing made the attempt difficult. Thermite tried casually whistling his way out of it while Echo made it seem as if he was staring into space as the three proceeded to act like nothing had really happened, earning some laughter from the women.

"Boys being boys," Ash teased, playfully slapping Storm's shoulder.

"No idea what you're talking about..." Storm muttered, earning another giggle from Ash.

"Jesus, you lot just gonna stand there soaking in the sun or actually get your feet wet? No pun intended….okay maybe it was intended a little," Sidewinder sarcastically stated, striding his way over to the changing rooms.

Following his lead, the rest of the men trailed behind Sidewinder as he guided them to the proper changing room. There were rows upon rows of lockers lining the room, with benches placed in the middle of each room in order to provide some support for those changing clothes and for those who were just taking a breather from the heat. Continuing to snake his way through, Sidewinder eventually halted at a line of lockers that had virtually nobody else in the aisle, leaving the benches empty and barren.

"Right here mates. Thank God for privacy," Sidewinder sighed in relief.

"Technically isn't there no privacy between us lot?" Echo inquired, setting his bag down on the bench.

"Don't bring that logic into here man. I mean privacy away from the staff members and some of the other people that come in here. They be giving you the weirdest looks when you're in the middle of changing and it's just creepy as shit," Sidewinder replied, shuddering a bit at the thought.

Setting his bag down, Sidewinder immediately yanked his t-shirt off of his torso, revealing more tattoos dotted across his body.

"Talk about ink," Thermite noted, examining the various tattoos.

"Yeah, I've always had a knack for being different. Figure I also get whatever I liked tattooed as well, and now my torso is just a magnificent almost filled in canvas. No regrets cause I'm damn proud of what I got," Sidewinder proudly stated, spreading his arms wide.

The tattoos he mainly pointed out included the ones on his chest. On the left side, there was a sword piercing through a helmet of sorts, and the right side, there was a white tree, along with a banner that appeared to be waving in the wind.

"Got some of my favorite Lord of the Rings things tattooed here. Got the Sword of Anduril piercing the Helm of Sauron here on the left, and the White Tree of Gondor and the Banner of Rohan here on the right side. Also got the inscription of the One Ring here on my left wrist."

Sidewinder continued to point out the various tattoos he had covering him, giving a brief description and backstory for each of them. Meanwhile, the rest were starting to change into their swimsuits, while Thermite was struggling to get his shirt off.

"Hey, uh, could one of you guys help me here? Bad shoulder, shirt…" he muttered.

"Yeah hang on, I got you covered amigo," Jackal responded, dropping his shirt onto the bench.

Stepping over to the other side of the bench, Jackal grabbed the loose end that Thermite had freed himself from and pulled it up and over the Texan's head, easily sliding it off the bad arm. Thermite started to gently press on the bandages, ensuring that it was still wrapped on tight enough.

"You able to move it well enough?" Jackal asked, returning to his gear.

"Should be able to. I'm able to do menial tasks, like do stuff on my phone, but that's about it for the time being," Thermite commented.

Meanwhile, the girls were actively talking in their changing room as they themselves were prepping to change into their swimwear.

"So what do you guys think of that Christian guy that's joined?" Ash inquired, pulling her top off, revealing the red bikini top she had underneath.

"I can't say much to give an opinion really. Guy's only been around for one day," Hibana replied.

"Likewise. I don't have much of an opinion yet myself," Ying added, undoing her hair from the bun she usually kept it in.

"He's pretty quiet," Valkyrie noted, "He said almost nothing on the drive up to the airport."

"Probably because he's with a bunch of people he really doesn't really know at all," Ash remarked, resting her sunglasses on top of her head.

The rest of girls nodded along in agreement, since that was really the best guess they all could've given as to what they thought of Sidewinder so far. Silence filled the gaps once more as they continued to switch into their swimwear. Ash had hers underneath her street clothes, the top matching with the bottom piece. Valkyrie was the same, but hers was a dark navy blue and Caveira had the same deal, but her outfit was a charcoal grey color compared to the others. Both Hibana and Ying had swimming leotards with Hibana's being a design of blue fading into black the further it went, and Ying had the same deal except it went from red, fading into black. Frost had a black bikini top, along with the bottom piece, but also had a bathing skirt wrapped around it.

"Interesting choice of swimwear," Valkyrie noted, looking over Ying and Hibana.

"It's mostly something that I swam in during my time with SDU, so for me it's just comfortable," Ying replied, smoothing down the sides.

"This was really the only swimwear I could find at the time when I bought some stuff awhile back. Not really a big deal for me, and like Siu said, this is actually somewhat comfortable," Hibana added.

While the girls were conversing about their swimsuits, Caveira was eyeing each of them, almost as if she were gauging something while she was leaned up against one of the lockers. After a few more minutes had passed, the trio of Ying, Hibana, and Frost started to make their way out of the locker room, with Valkyrie trailing behind them shortly after. Ash remained behind, somewhat digging through her bag with a slightly puzzled expression.

"I know my phone's here somewhere…"

Suddenly, hands made their way under her arms and quickly grabbed at her chest, squeezing both breasts. Ash's face immediately went red and she was about to shriek in surprise, but one of the hands swiftly covered her mouth, rendering her voiceless. As quick as it had happened, the hands removed themselves from Ash, allowing her to quickly turn around to see who her assailant was: Caveira was leaning up against the near locker, hands folded over her chest, laughing to herself.

"Taina, what the hell was that for?" Ash questioned, her face still burning red from embarrassment whilst she crossed her arms over her chest to cover her bust.

"Heheh, relax Eliza. Just wanted to see exactly what Aiden was feeling two nights ago," Caveira snickered as she started to strut out of the changing room.

"God you're irritable sometimes…."

"How long did it take you to notice that?"

Eliza rolled her eyes at the remark, earning more laughter from the Brazilian as she made her way back to the outskirts of the pool, adjusting her sunglasses as she finally got outside. Sidewinder and Jackal were already swimming about in the pool, both of them racing to see who could go back and forth the fastest. Echo was relaxing against the edge of the pool, most of his body except for his chest and head were submerged in the shimmering water with Ying sitting on the edge of the pool next to him. Thermite and Hibana were relaxing in some of the chairs that were poolside, the bandages on Thermite's shoulder visible for all to see. Valkyrie and Frost were at the far end of the pool, casually watching the races between Jackal and Sidewinder, both playfully betting on who would win the next one. Eventually her eyes settled on the guy she was looking for: Storm was sitting on the edge of the pool, practically where the middle was, hands clasped together in his lap with his legs dangling in the water, ever so slowly swinging them as he stared out into the nearby ocean. Nonchalantly she made her way over to him, taking a spot next to him as she glided her legs into the water herself.

"Oooo, water's a bit cold," Ash mentioned.

"Eh, you get used to it. It's when you start to get most of your body in the water is when you feel the rush of the cold creeping up. The water should warm up soon enough though given how hard the sun is beating down on us," Storm replied, somewhat rubbing his shoulder.

It had been about close to a month since the mission back in Courchevel, and Storm was still feeling the effects of it, albeit not as harshly as it was compared to when he was spending a fortnight in Paris, constantly writhing in agony and screaming through gritted teeth. His abdomen had healed up nicely, leaving a small visible scar as to where the bullet had struck, but he still had some bandaging on his shoulder where he was impacted. He figured that the shoulder injuries would fully heal, but at the same time he figured that there could also be the possibility of scarring.

"Your injuries are healing well," Ash commented, splashing the water a bit with her hand.

"Just a matter of when I get more," Storm smirked in response.

"I'd be the one inflicting those before you even got the chance to get hit by bullets," Ash retorted, splashing some water up at Storm.

"You really want to start this game?" Storm asked, splashing Ash back.

The two continued to keep flinging water at one another while both Sidewinder and Jackal swam by, practically in sync as their racing had pretty much slowed down to just plain fun between the two. Both swam back over to where Valkyrie and Frost where, both of whom were still in casual talks as they looked out at the ocean. Pausing for a brief moment, Sidewinder glanced over to his left: a small set of stone ruins stood tall close to the edge of the cliff and seemed to extend well up to about forty feet in height, possibly fifty, give or take. Staring at it, he swam over to the edge of the pool, hoisting himself up out of the water. Running a hand through his wet hair, he looked up towards the top of the ruins, shielding his eyes from the near unbearable sun.

"You see something Christian?" Jackal asked, wading his way over to the edge of the pool.

"Nah, just something that I've been meaning to visit for sometime. You can keep splashing about….I got some business to attend to," Sidewinder noted, starting to walk off.

* * *

 **Time: 3:02 P.M.**

Pacing his way across the smooth ground, Sidewinder kept his focus on the ruins, his eyes scanning and analyzing every detail that it possessed. Approaching the base of the ruins, he quietly dipped around the corner of the exterior, and soon went inside the lower level of the ruins. It was dimly lit, except for the rays of sunlight that were passing through the openings and cracks in the stone, and the opening giving enough light to see as well. The room he had entered was rather empty, except for a bronze plaque that sat on top of a carved stone that was about three feet high. Approaching the plaque, he crouched down in front it, dusting off some of the sand and gravel that had gotten onto it, and quietly, he read the inscription aloud to himself:

" _In memory of the brave Special Air Service members who gave their lives for the greater good of the world, we honor them and the legacy of the S.A.S with this commemoration:_

 _Staff Sgt. Caleb Maddox_

 _Sgt. David Webber_

 _Officer Cadet Matthew Robinson_

 _Lance Cpl. Blake Spears_

 _Cpt. Zacharias Henderson_

 _May these gentlemen find rest in God's good grace."_

Sidewinder traced an imaginary line beneath the closing statement as he finished reading it aloud. The back of his mind started to tingle as he felt himself starting to recall distant memories from years past.

"If only there was more time to save you lot from being buried alive under the rubble. I would've done so...if it weren't for the falling debris that collapsed around us. It was like the world was ending….and god damn did it seem like it back at base. Successful? Heh, yeah the mission was successful, but it would've been better to see you guys back there with everyone. With James, Mark, Seamus, Mike…..damn, that would've been a helluva party."

Outwardly, he was chuckling to himself, but on the inside he could feel the emotional strain in his chest as he recalled the scenarios that happened on the day he was here in Ibiza while still a low ranking member of the S.A.S at the time. He was awarded a medal to commemorate his heroic efforts in an attempt to help save those who were trapped in the stone building, but it still tugged at him that he could've done better, he could have always done better. Reaching over his right shoulder with his left hand, he traced the pattern of the scar that was left on his body when part of the building fell on him. It practically rendered that arm immobile for some time with the way it struck him. Most of the wound had healed completely, except for scarring that was near his right shoulder blade. To remind himself of that day and the hell he went through, he got an angel's wing tattooed by it, giving it the impression that it had been clipped with some feathers fluttering off in the opposite direction of the scar. Continuing to stay by the plaque, Sidewinder absentmindedly began to draw patterns in the gravel that was beneath his feet. He didn't take note of how much time he had spent there as his mind continued to wander, his hands still running through the gravel as he looked down at the ground. Eventually, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the opening, and instinctively he whipped his up towards the entryway. Coming into it was a woman with shoulder length blonde hair, and two sleeves worth of tattoos and only one person crossed Sidewinder's mind: Valkyrie.

"Was wondering where you went," Valkyrie commented.

"Just been here," Sidewinder responded, brushing some hair out of his face, "How long have I been gone?"

"At least the past half hour, if not longer."

"Shit, didn't think I was gone that long. My bad."

Sidewinder scratched at his head as he continued to run his hand through the gravel, picking it up, and letting the gathered piles fall from his hand. Valkyrie looked on with little interest, but the plaque in the middle of the room caught her eye. Walking up to it, she crouched down in order to inspect it more closely. Slowly, she ran her fingers under the words that were etched into the bronze, with Sidewinder quietly looking on. Soon enough, she finished reading the inscripted words, her index finger gliding under the closing statement before she stood back up.

"I take it you were in the S.A.S yourself?" Valkyrie inquired.

"Yeah, but I started off with Scotland Yard, albeit briefly as a new recruit until I learned more about the S.A.S and then decided that a group like them was more of a fit for me. Actually thankful for the decision because otherwise I wouldn't have met the likes of James and Mark. Those two were my closest friends while we were still together and Seamus and Mike were more or less our mentors, so in a way, everything balanced out."

"Did you know any of the people on the plaque well enough?"

"Caleb and Zacharias were the two I knew best since I was originally in a platoon with them, and frankly I think I was with them when I first started out. Then the mission happened…" his voice trailed off as he let out a deep sigh.

Valkyrie even took a moment of silence to pay respect to the five who had been taken away from the world. It was always disheartening when anyone close to you passed, but depending on how they passed away, it could leave a person feeling extremely shitty once they learned the backstory.

"If only the building didn't collapse as quick as it did, I could've rescued most, if not all of them….and also if it weren't for all the fucking debris that was crumbling down onto us. Shit gave me a nasty fucking gash," Sidewinder mentioned, letting out a frustrated sigh.

Standing from his position, he showed his back to Valk, trying to point at where the scar on him was.

"Just follow the angel wing and you'll find it."

Reaching out, Valk gently placed her fingertips on where the wing started and slowly followed it up along Sidewinder's back. The design of the tattoo was certainly one of the most angelic ones she had seen, but her focus remained on finding the scar Sidewinder had mentioned. Eventually, she came across the section where the wing appeared to be clipped as a faded red line, probably about three or four inches long, ran down the Brit's back. It wasn't exactly a pretty sight too but then again, it was interesting to see something of the sort. Lightly, she traced the length of the scar with her forefinger until she reached the end point of it, taking an extra few seconds to look over the damage.

"It's certainly faded over time. How long ago did all this happen?" Valk questioned, still tracing over the scar.

"Five, maybe six years ago I think. It's still sort of fuzzy, but all I know is that we were trying to clear out a hostage situation and the terrorists were armed with bombs. They rigged this building here with them, and I guess they got what they wanted in killing some of our squad members," Sidewinder sighed.

Valk halted her progress in tracing and moved her hand up to Sidewinder's shoulder, giving it a reassuring tap.

"At least you're alive. I'm sure the others are thankful for that," Valk noted.

Sidewinder exhaled another sigh as he began making his way toward the entryway.

"True as it is, I sometimes feel like I should've been the one to take the fall rather than them. Yet, I feel like they would've wanted me to succeed and surpass them…"

Shrugging his shoulders, he exited the room, with Valkyrie going into a light jog to catch up with him. In the back of her mind, she was rather surprised to hear such history of Sidewinder. He was a decorated veteran as is, but like most people, he was stuck suffering with survivor's guilt from a previous mission. She knew it was a struggle to put up with, but from what she had seen from her experiences, it was only something that added to a person's thick skin, making them more resilient to whatever got thrown at them further down the line.

* * *

 **Time: 5:42 P.M.**

"Christ...so much smoke," Storm remarked as he and Jackal walked through the hookah bar.

The two had gone up the stairs from the poolside and onto the second floor after Storm had asked Jackal to tag along with him on a walk through the building. The pool had started to bore him, so he and Jackal had made sure to at least throw their shirts back on before heading back inside, leaving the majority of the group by the pool, with the rest of the guys chatting with one another and the girls doing the same. Passing by the billiards hall, Storm looked out through the open window in the hall, where it fell down towards a small courtyard in the center of the building.

"Probably the best place to get some privacy here," Storm noted, continuing to walk down the hall.

"What is it that you even wanted to talk about?" Jackal questioned, keeping pace with Storm.

"I'll explain it all once we're down in the courtyard," Storm replied.

Moving down the corridor, the duo eventually made their way back down to the first floor and swung around the reception area and out into the courtyard. There wasn't much to it except a pair of white sofas on top of a raised wooden platform and a small lawn covered the rest of the small area that sat situated in the middle of the building. Moving over to the sofas, the two sat at separate couches, with Jackal giving himself enough room to let himself slouch and Storm simply laid himself out across the length of the sofa he was on.

"Right, so what is it that you wanted to talk about Aiden?" Jackal asked, stretching his arms.

Storm let out a deep sigh as he linked his hands across his chest.

"Ryad, how good are you at keeping things on a low level? Like, you know how to keep a secret hidden?"

"Amigo, aside from you, Elena, and Elias, I don't talk to many others, so you can trust me on this one."

Storm chuckled at the response.

"Right then….so, first off, do you know of PTSD? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?"

"The name sounds familiar. I've heard Gustave mention it before when he thought I had that when he diagnosed my insomnia. What exactly is it?"

"It's a lifelong struggle is what it is. When you're out and about doing various operations like I was during my time with PMCs, sometimes you see shit that you aren't supposed to do, or do such inhumane things to others that it will make you question life."

"So I take it you acquired it at some point?"

Storm silently nodded.

"I don't remember what year it was, but all I know is that there was some operation that my squad was sent to do somewhere in Southeast Asia. Some warlord by the name of Teng Zhi was running drug cartels, human trafficking, black market, the usual illegal shit you would find. This motherfucker was sick and twisted, often using children as young as seven to aid in his operations and in human trafficking, sometimes the kids _were_ the people being sold off."

Jackal sat in silent shock as Storm continued on.

"Where the hell were we…..Laos. That's where we were sent. We had the intel telling us where his hideout was in the jungle, and when we finally arrived at the place, it was a shock to see who was guarding it. Fucking children, holding AKs in their hands along with average looking guards. We radio back telling them that there's children and that we're unsure as to how proceed. They just tell us, 'Fuck it, do what needs to be done.' That was extremely shocking to hear from our commander, but nonetheless we proceeded. Of course, we tried doing stealth tactics, but that went awry and ultimately we were discovered inside and everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, started unloading lead rain onto us. As much as we didn't want to do it, returning fire was a necessity and we managed to kill off most of the guards before heading inside, finding Zhi, and ending him. The scene of the operation when we walked back out of the main building was horrific…"

Storm nearly choked on his words as he uttered the last statement. Clearing his throat, he progressed with the tale.

"Stepping outside...it was like something that you would experience in a war. Bodies just strewn across the ground, blood endlessly spilled and staining the dirt ground….it was horrendous. Among the bodies, were also those children. All of us who took part in that unnecessary slaughter, had thousand yard stares for days on end. Our minds were plagued with the fact that we took innocent lives from people who were used against their will and abused to the point where they had to follow a cruel master's authority, or be punished, sometimes even executed. I left that PMC about a month after the whole ordeal since I didn't want my name to stay on that roster list and I wanted to be as far away from that place as possible. In the years following, there would be more and more unnecessary bloodshed that I took part in which ranged from bombing innocent villages, to performing biochemical attacks in order to flush out HVIs. My brain was mentally scarred, I was broken, and honestly I just felt dead inside after all was said done. I've told others that when I joined PMCs, it's because I wanted to prove I was strong, both physically and mentally. Yet, while they did test a great deal, sometimes it was too much to bear and eventually I decided to take a break from that lifestyle and try to find something else to do in order to ease my mindset, but, the haunting memories that were burned into my brain just kept calling me back to the wild and every time I'd try to act social or be social during outings, I sometimes felt like I was still on the battlefield and I would screw everything up at where I was. People became afraid of me, and I isolated myself from the world because of the monster I had transformed into. It wasn't who I was raised to be, and if my family had found out about my changing behavior...shit, they probably would've sent me to an asylum or something. In the end, judging by what Rainbow partakes in Ryad, I'm at least calm enough in this group that I don't have to worry about performing that shit ever again."

It was a lot to digest for Jackal. He didn't think Storm was such a bad guy, but upon hearing his backstory and what it was like working for those PMCs, it did make him see two different people. One was a ruthless soldier who took orders and executed, no matter the cost. The other was a man of quiet nature, but strong will and he had good people around. It was almost like he was staring into a space of light and dark, with no real balance between the two. The thoughts of it made his mind spin, and frankly, he also felt nauseous at the image of the dead bodies that Storm had to look at, and deal with no less. Silence would be the only thing that spoke for the two, as Jackal was still continuing to process everything in his head, and Storm stayed in his usual state of silence, the memories he spilled out starting to plague his mind once more.

* * *

 **Time: 7:51 P.M.**

Most of the group was still gathered by the pool, but by this point they had all changed back into their street clothes and were sitting among the chairs that were scattered about. Sidewinder was keeping to himself as he flicked through his phone, Thermite was in a small cluster with Hibana, Echo, Ying, and Frost, and Caveira was casually chatting about with Ash and Valkyrie. After a few more minutes had gone by, Storm and Jackal emerged from the changing room, now fully back in their street clothing. There was still an unsettled look in Jackal's eyes, but the sunglasses he had with him were masking it while Storm's face remained stone solid from their conversation earlier. Storm lead himself and Jackal over to where Ash and Cav were sitting, with Storm taking a place next to Ash and Jackal sitting himself by Cav.

"Was wondering where you guys went," Ash commented.

"Just went about exploring the resort. Not much too it, but it certainly does provide," Storm responded, pulling his phone out.

"What'd you two end up checking out?" Caveira inquired, starting to put her hair up.

"Billiards hall, VIP Lounge, and the central courtyard. Only other things to check out really were the bars, but we weren't in the mood for them," Jackal replied.

Turning the screen on, Storm took a moment to check the time before stuffing the device back into his pocket. Leaning back in the chair, he rest his chin on his fist as he stared out into the distant horizon. The memories he had brought up earlier with Jackal were the only things that were swirling about in his head as he began to think back on them. The operation in Laos was what set his PTSD in motion, and now that he thought about it, is probably what also led to his silent, stone faced nature over time.

"Aiden."

"Hm?"

He didn't turn his head this time as he continued to keep staring out into space. A hand waved by in front of his face, and shortly after, he felt someone poking his cheek, causing him to turn to see Ash looking back at him with slightly worried expression.

"You okay? You're like zoning out over there."

"I'm fine. Just thinking over things…"

"It looks more than that."

Letting out a sigh, Storm put his head next to Ash's.

"I'll tell you all about it when we get back to base," he whispered.

Pulling his head back, he longingly stared back at Ash, almost as if he was ensuring that she understood him. A silent nod was what he was given in response and instinctively he went back to staring back out at the horizon line. He couldn't get his mind off the history he told Jackal, and if he was being honest, he wouldn't be able to forget those deeds for awhile. Sensing his own boredom, he stood up from his seat and scanned the rest of the group to see who else was available for conversation. Noting the lone Sidewinder, he strolled his way over to the Brit, taking the open spot next to him.

"Christian."

Sidewinder placed his phone down in his lap as he looked back at the American.

"Aiden, mate. Whatcha' think of this place after today?"

"Eh, it's nice. Just a bit small in my opinion."

"Yeah, I can agree with that, but hey, it has its benefits."

Storm nodded along in agreement.

"You get a chance to talk with Meghan?"

"When we were at the ruins, yeah."

"Ruins?"

Sidewinder instinctively pointed out the damaged stone castle in the distance.

"Those ruins there. Ended up visiting them for personal reasons."

"What's in the ruins?"

Sidewinder stood up from his seat and started to make his way over.

"Just follow and you'll see."

The two quietly made their way over to the ruined castle, with Sidewinder guiding Storm the same way he originally entered the place. Stepping into the room, Sidewinder pointed out the plaque to Storm as the tall American entered himself.

"Just read that and you'll know why I came here earlier."

Following his order, Storm walked up to the plaque, having to crouch down himself in order to read the inscription. Compared to Valkyrie, he took a bit more time to read the inscription, especially when it came to the names. Finishing the read, Storm nodded as he stood up.

"They must've been good people."

"The best mate. Some of my closest friends when I was in the S.A.S."

Storm turned on his heel to face Sidewinder, his hand extended to the Brit.

"Well, you got Rainbow now."

Sidewinder chuckled at the notion as he firmly gripped the man's hand in response. He knew Storm wasn't wrong, and that Rainbow was now his new family. Thankfully, it also reunited him with his previous squadmates, and it was something that he was really looking forward to in the future, for he could once more work again with those cherished teammates and at the same time, perhaps even pursue an interest in Valkyrie as he could not keep his eyes off her, even throughout the entire trip.

* * *

 **Time: 10:42 P.M.**

The rec room was mostly empty and quiet for it was about the time of day where most of the operatives would be in their rooms at this point, but for tonight there were still a few lounging about in the room. IQ, Bandit, and Blitz were sitting back and watching the late night news from the couches. Mute was at the main table playing cards with Rook and Lesion, who was casually rolling his toothpick in between his fingers, and Thatcher was looking over reports from today's training sessions. For the majority of it, there was relative silence, except for when one of the three card players had an unfortunate turn of events for themselves as they let out groans of irritation. All was well in the room, until the current program on the television suddenly switched on the three GSG 9 members.

"Vat iz zis?" Bandit angrily questioned.

"A technical error?" Blitz wondered.

On the screen, the words "Breaking News" were flashing on the screen and soon enough the feed cut to a blond woman standing in front of what looked like an almost mess from a film. Vehicles were blown up, with some still in flames as firefighters were in the background doing their best to douse the fires. Wreckage was strewn across the road ranging from shredded tires to chunks of metal laying out on the road. Both Bandit and Blitz's mouths dropped at the scene.

"Mike, you may vant to see zis," IQ called out.

Looking up from the reports he had, Thatcher's face almost seemed as if his soul had just left his body as he stared at the screen. Moving from his seat, he walked over to the couches, standing behind the one that Bandit was sitting in.

"Evening everyone, Abigail Mulholland here with an urgent newscast here in Courchevel…"

"Courchevel?!" Thatcher shouted.

"...live on the scene here as you can see is the wreckage of three vehicles that were part of the convoy leading known White Mask member, Jourdain Girard, to the prison over in Paris," Abigail continued.

Thatcher could feel his throat tighten, along with anger rising in him as he heard the name 'Girard' be read aloud. He knew damn well that Girard had been roughed up by Sledge and Caveira when their squad had captured him at the chalet in the Alps, but the fact that the man had escaped his confinement in just a little over a month seemed suspicious.

"We are being led to believe that during Girard's transfer, the White Masks launched an ambush attack on the convoy, ultimately freeing Girard, where he is now rumored to be hiding out in the woods, and potentially up in the French Alps. Police are already commencing an investigation in order to quickly track down his whereabouts as we speak," Abigail finished.

Thatcher, with silent anger, slammed his fist into the couch, nearly causing Bandit to jump from his seat.

"Bloody fuckin' hell…" Thatcher murmured.

The situation had now looked bleak with Girard back out in the open world and not behind bars. Thatcher couldn't stress enough how pissed he was with the news. He had spent months tracking down where Girard was to begin with and he was happy enough once the man was captured and put behind the cold bars of jail. Now that Jourdain had escaped from his confinement, it sparked a burning inner rage inside the eldest member of the S.A.S and he was just about ready to throw stuff across the room since he had no idea on what to do now.


	11. Chapter 11: Future Plans

**Hey all, finally back with Chapter 11! School's gotten really busy since end of the year stuff is starting to come through, so my writing time is going to be diminished quite a bit. However, I'm just happy enough to come back from my extended break to continue writing the story and see where it goes. I can't give an exact date as to when Chapter 12 will be published, but just know that it will be out hopefully within the next month or two.**

 **Until then, enjoy reading! :)**

* * *

 _June 4, 2018_

 **Location: Courchevel, France**

 **Time: 8:57 P.M. - 2 hours earlier**

Prison was something that Jourdain was well acquainted with from his youth when he was already a troublemaker, and eventually turning into a teenage criminal. His behavior had caused him to be expelled from school and eventually, his parents stopped supporting him because they were tired of constantly having to bail him out and deal with everything else that was going on in their lives ranging from their work to paying for Jourdain's release, and so on. Did he care that he was promptly kicked out from his own home? No, he wasn't...he was nowhere near that level of compassion, especially since he was part of the White Masks. On his cot, he quietly twiddled his thumbs as he looked up at the dark ceiling while he laid down. It had only been about a month since he was incarcerated, but in prison, that time feels like several months, sometimes even years. It was something he had grown accustomed to, but even then he still hated the long waiting times to be released back out into the world so he could continue his lifestyle. Across from him in his cell, was Olivier, the young Frenchman from his terrorist cell that was captured alongside him by Rainbow and the French authorities. Often times during their incarceration, Olivier was looking after Jourdain due to the wounds he had suffered at the hands of Caveira and Sledge and the state that Girard had been in at the time just looked horrendous as there was blood all over the lower half of his face and even on his chest while his nose appeared to be broken and his eye was swollen shut. Compared to now, the injuries didn't look as bad, but the White Mask leader wore a nasal strip over his nose and the area that was swollen had significantly healed to the point where he could see out of the eye again. Pushing himself up from his cot, Olivier took the time to stretch himself before sitting back down as Jourdain was mumbling to himself.

"Combien de temps...Combien de temps…" **(How long...how long…)** he muttered.

The phrase perplexed Olivier as he looked over at his comrade before lowering his head. Soon after, footsteps started to echo in the corridor, prompting Jourdain to sit up from his cot while he looked past the metal bars that confined him and Olivier. Four guards wearing body armor appeared before them with one having his arms crossed over his chest while he stared down the two. Jourdain appeared unphased by their appearance, but it was easy to see that Olivier was a bit shaken up by the sudden arrival.

"Très bien vous deux, voici la nouvelle: Vous allez être transféré dans un nouvel endroit et nous vous emmènerons en convoi. Obtenez toute la merde dont vous avez besoin maintenant et venez avec nous," **(Alright you two, here's the news: You're getting transferred to a new location and we'll be taking you by convoy. Get whatever shit you need now and come with us.)**

The two White Masks immediately stood up from their cots as the guard opened up their cell door. Showing no resistance, the two were guided out of the area with the four guards surrounding them in a square formation. Arriving outside, they were greeted by armed guards who were all carrying SMGs on them, with three armored vehicles behind them. Halting their advance, the lead guard moved up to one of the armed ones, quietly exchanging words with them. For a moment, a brief look of confusion crossed both faces, but a satisfied nod followed from the armed guard as he started to direct traffic in the convoy. Jourdain and Olivier were pushed into the middle vehicle, leaving the remaining guards to take their positions in the other vehicles. Olivier was still rather perplexed by the sudden change, but Girard remained calm and collected as he took his seat. Soon enough, the revved engines transitioned into smooth hums as they pulled away from the prison and onto a back stretch of road. Oliver blankly stared at the floor while Jourdain rested his chin on his clasped hands as he looked ahead, an expression of thought appearing on his face as their transporters were casually chatting during the drive. Forty-five minutes had passed, and Olivier had fallen asleep in his seat, but Jourdain remained awake and alert as he continued to stare ahead of him. The convoy abruptly stopped, with shouting voices soon coming from the front vehicle with the apparentness being that someone was in the middle of the road not moving from their position.

"Monsieur, nous vous demandons de déménager immédiatement," **(Sir, we request that you move immediately.)** the driver acknowledged, moving towards the lone stranger.

The man on the road simply stared back at him, a face mask covering the bottom half of his entire face. The other guard was rather perplexed with the situation as he waited for his partner back at the vehicle, hand ready to draw his gun. As the driver started to draw closer, a loud, streaking noise was heard coming from the nearby woodlands and the vehicle suddenly blew up in flames from an RPG, killing the other guard. The driver turned around in bewilderment but was soon dropped to the ground himself as the stranger fired a bullet through his head. The remaining four jumped out of the two vehicles drawing out their weapons, but another RPG came crashing in, slamming into the rear vehicle and sending debris into the two guards who were once inside, killing them on the spot. The last two who were left with no other options, fired at the man in the road who barely had time to react before he was killed himself. Knowing that they were next on the kill list, the two guards crouched low by the burning wreckage as they scanned the treeline for any signs of their assassins. Back inside the car, Jourdain was sadistically laughing to himself as he listened to the ongoing carnage while Olivier was peering through the small window slits to see what exactly was happening. All he could see in his peripherals were flames and smoke, along with the yells of pain and help as their guards were seemingly getting massacred right before them. Suddenly more gunshots rang out, but all went silent as quick as there was noise. Mumbled voices started conversing outside the vehicle and before the two knew it, they were suddenly freed as a half-dozen White Masks stood outside the vehicle, with half the group carrying rocket launchers and the rest carrying assault rifles.

"Jourdain," one of them called out.

Acknowledging the man's presence, Jourdain simply waved a hand in front of himself as he casually stepped out the vehicle while Olivier appeared to be confused at the whole situation as he stepped out, looking at the remaining men and the wreckage that they had created.

"Mon Dieu…" **(My God…)** was all Olivier could utter at the sight.

Before he could take a full moment to digest what was happening, he found himself being pulled by the arm as the small group bounded its way into the woods at a full sprint. There was a look of bewilderment that crossed Olivier's face as they ran deeper into the woods, almost as if he wasn't fully understanding the whole situation even though he had his comrades guiding him and Jourdain to safety from the authorities. Even with the sheer size of the group, their footsteps seemed to make no noise as they ran through the forest and in the background, there was the sound of blaring sirens with the aura of red and blue lights faintly pulsing behind them as they peeled over the hillside, sliding down the opposite side before going back into full sprint.

"Le refuge est juste en avance," **(The safehouse is just up ahead)** the group leader stated, starting to pick up more speed.

"Jourdain, avez-vous prévu cela?" **(Jourdain, did you plan this?)** Olivier inquired.

"J'ai fait." **(I did)**

That was as good of a response Olivier was gonna sap out of his superior as they continued to hightail it. What had felt like they were running for hours, was surprisingly no more than forty-five minutes worth of sprinting as they came across a large gray warehouse. Initially, it looked abandoned judging from the exterior, but as the group made its way around, they came to an open garage door that had several other White Masks sitting around in serious conversation. With their footsteps drawing closer, the chatter quickly died down as their attention turned to the escaped convicts, making Olivier shudder a bit as all eyes were now on him and Jourdain. One of the men that was standing slowly dropped to a knee, crossing an arm diagonally across his body while bowing his head towards Jourdain. Soon enough the others followed the motion until it was only Jourdain and Olivier left standing, only making Olivier more confused as he looked at the entire group.

"Monsieur Jourdain."

Jourdain turned his attention over to one of the Masks that was now standing at the rear of the group.

"C'est un honneur de vous appeler maintenant Grand Maître." **(It is an honor to call you Grand Master.)**

The remark earned a grin that spanned from ear to ear as Jourdain let out a chuckle.

"Rise, mes enfants," **(Rise, my children)** Jourdain ordered.

At the order, the now large group of White Masks stood at attention as they stared back at their leader with determination set in their eyes.

"Aujourd'hui marque le début d'un nouvel âge pour nous. À partir de ce jour, nous consacrerons la majeure partie de notre temps à abattre le groupe qui a été l'épine dans notre camp pendant trop longtemps. Comment allons-nous faire ce que vous demandez? Simple. Nous faisons ce que nous faisons normalement jusqu'à ce que l'occasion se présente, puis nous frappons comme le cobra," **(Today marks the beginning of a new age for us. From this day forward, we'll be devoting most of our time to taking down the group who has been the thorn in our side for far too long. How are we going to do that you ask? Simple. We do what we normally do until the opportunity presents itself, and then we strike like the cobra)** Jourdain stated, looking around the group to ensure everyone got the message.

All the other Masks seemingly nodded along in approval of their Grand Master's plan as he started to direct traffic among them, sending everyone into the warehouse in order to avoid suspicion in case anyone happened upon them. Inside, Olivier aimlessly wandered about by himself as he still tried to process what was exactly happening. Grand Master? If Jourdain was Grand Master of the organization, then what did that make Olivier? Just another lieutenant? Or was he something more within the organization? The thoughts swirled about in his head as he absentmindedly meandered his way into the lounge area where four other Masks were sitting on improvised seats such as turned over garbage cans and stacked concrete blocks. Surprisingly, the television in the room was working and what caught Olivier's attention was the news report that was being aired. Easily, he recognized the background of the scene and instantly remembered what had exactly transpired within the past hour. The convoy, the ambush, the escape, and now here they were...stuck in this warehouse for God only knew how long.

* * *

 _June 23, 2018_

 **Location: Hereford Base, Herefordshire, UK**

 **Time: 11:12 A.M.**

It had been awhile since Thatcher was last in Six's office himself. Last time he was inside, it was mainly discussing the incident between Storm and Sledge, but thankfully that passed by without much hassle although the two still seemed to bear a grudge against each other. Nonetheless, he had more important matters at hand...extremely important matters. Pacing back and forth in front of Six's desk, he held information regarding Jourdain Girard and his past criminal activities. Over time, the Frenchman had become something that someone wouldn't dare step up to in-person judging by his tactics, but Rainbow was lucky enough to catch him off guard in Courchevel before he could perform anything drastic in the area.

"So," Six began, "Is there any current word as to where Girard may be?"

Thatcher could only shrug in response as he continued to stare at the file in his hand.

"Intel teams are still trying to pinpoint an exact location as to where he might've fled. Word is that he must've ran for the hills...literally. There's even possible speculation that he could even be holed up in the Alps, but it's a stretch," Thatcher replied, flipping to the next page.

He was lucky enough that Six couldn't see through his lie given his stern expression and appearance. If he were to blunt now, he would tell her that he had no idea of where in God's name Girard was at. For all he knew, the man could already be out of the country by the time they were discussing all this, but Thatcher only wanted to believe that situation as a worst-case scenario. While flipping to the next page, the door to Six's office quickly swung open, revealing the good-hearted Texan, Thermite.

"Sorry for not knocking, but I came here as quick as I could once I got your message, Six," he stated, shutting the door behind him.

"No need to apologize, Jordan. Please, sit," Six gestured.

Nodding in response, Thermite took the moment to seat himself while Thatcher paused in his tracks as he aimlessly flipped through the file once more before tossing it onto Six's desk. Dropping down into the seat next to Thermite, the elder SAS member ran his hands over his salt and pepper hair, sighing in defeat at the current situation.

"What's with the unhappy mood, Mike?" Thermite inquired, shifting his focus over to the Brit.

"It's the situation we're in, Jordan. Every search we've done in an attempt to locate Jourdain has turned up inconclusive, even with speculation on where he could potentially be. It's just another one of those frustrating reconnaissance deals," Thatcher huffed, leaning back in his chair.

"Even the French authorities haven't found a possible location?"

"We've been in contact with Petrus, the officer from when we originally captured Jourdain, and even he says that his unit has had their search results turn up fruitless."

"Damn...so really no luck in the end."

The Texan let out a long-winded sigh as he started to get lost in thought while Thatcher was still debating ideas in his head while Six herself started to leaf through Jourdain's file. It was certainly interesting to look at the man in detail as he sported a quiff hairstyle along with a light beard. Some of the more notable facial features the Frenchman held were a jagged scar that ran from the middle of his cheek to his right ear, and a notable tattoo of a left facing head with a rag wrapped the top of it. The tattoo especially drew a look of confusion on Six's face the more she stared at the picture while the other two were still lost in their sea of thoughts.

"Have we done a background check on Girard?" Six asked, turning the page.

"Not entirely. Why?" Thatcher responded, sitting upright.

Turning the file around, Six pushed the item toward the two, mainly pointing out the tattoo on Girard's neck.

"You normally know what a tattoo like that means," Six began.

"It means possible association with some gang or other criminal organization. You suggesting we do a thorough criminal check on him? That could prove to be lengthy," Thatcher replied, resting his head on his fist.

"I don't care how long the check takes, but whatever information we're able to find, even if it's based off the smallest detail, could prove vital in our hunt for Girard."

Thatcher appeared unsure at the suggestion as he continued to look back and forth between the file and Six, but Thermite seemed more than willing to go through with it.

"It wouldn't hurt to try Mike. Probably our best option out of what we got currently," Thermite noted.

"I suppose…" the Brit muttered in response.

It was rare to see the eldest member of the SAS show self-doubt in himself, but both Six and Thermite knew he was someone who didn't back down easily, especially since he didn't let his age get in the way of him. Unbeknownst to them, there was a soft humming that they were completely oblivious too, but the noise was seemingly coming from outside in the hallway. Dokkaebi had set herself up against the right-hand wall, her tablet in her hands as she continued to eavesdrop on the meeting between the three leading figures of Rainbow. Mischievousness was certainly one certain charm of her personality as she always found a way to get an ear in on certain briefings that others wouldn't be able to know about, but that behavior nearly got her in trouble a few times when she was training with the 707th SMB. Especially with him constantly lurking about...a behavior that constantly put her at unease…

"Grace, what are you doing here?"

The sudden call of her name nearly made her drop her tablet in surprise. Looking up from her spot, her face slightly scrunched up at the sight of Vigil, who was blankly looking down at her with his arms loosely hung by his sides. There was a certain vibe about him that she easily read as unimpressed the more the two held their staredown.

"Neo wae singyeong sseunya?" **(Why do you care?)** Dokkaebi responded, pushing her glasses up.

"Do I have to state the obvious?" Vigil replied, folding his arms.

Dokkaebi rolled her eyes at the comment before returning her focus to her personal tablet, idly flicking her finger against the illuminated screen.

"You better not be trying to hack the system…" Vigil muttered, eying his partner.

"As if I would do something like that right in front of you, Chul," Dokkaebi retorted, not taking her eyes off the screen.

Vigil simply let out an irritated sigh as he continued to watch over Dokkaebi, posting himself up against the other wall as his focus kept going back and forth between her and the door to ensure that it didn't look like they were snooping. Despite his rather intimidating presence, Dokkaebi showed no signs of moving from her spot anytime soon, even as he continuously checked the time on his watch. Vigil started to become increasingly agitated as time went on, but he figured that Dokkaebi was testing his patience since she seemed to always have that effect on him every time she defied him. Before he could move forward, a rather familiar ally appeared before him, sporting a heavy black beard.

"Oh, Chul. Wasn't expecting to find you here," Blackbeard remarked.

The surprising thing that was a secret between the two was the friendship they held with one another. Blackbeard had served as a mentor to the Korean during the latter's training sessions with the SEALs while working with the 707th SMB and he himself was surprised to come across his American partner within Rainbow.

"Eh, y'know, just currently babysitting as some would say," Vigil chided.

Dokkaebi shot him a brief glare before returning to her tablet, moving her glasses back up on her nose as she continued to flick through whatever she had on the screen while Blackbeard let a chuckle escape his lips at the remark.

"Certainly one way of putting it. I trust Grace isn't doing anything out of the ordinary?" Blackbeard inquired.

"At least for the time being it seems that way," Vigil responded, briefly glancing at Dokkaebi.

The tech expert rolled her eyes at the comment while former mentor and student continued to converse.

"So, what do you think of the crew we have here?" Blackbeard inquired.

"Everyone seems like they have a good heart. Although lately, I've been finding myself on the receiving end of jabs from Mark and Christian on being too quiet," Vigil replied, murmuring the last bit.

"Lighten up Chul. It's just their way of being friendly with you," Blackbeard stated, slapping his former student on the shoulder.

The Korean shrugged at the idea since it was rare for anyone to show any friendliness towards him, giving how he grew up in his early years...something he constantly tried to forget about since it often brought traumatizing flashbacks if he thought about it for too long. Eventually, Dokkaebi stood up from her seated position before starting to leave the two to themselves.

"You two are starting to bore me…" she mumbled.

Vigil rolled his eyes at the remark, but he was satisfied with the fact that she was leaving an area that she wasn't supposed to be in, and soon enough both him and Blackbeard started to trail behind her as they continued their conversation. It annoyed Dokkaebi that she could still hear their voices faintly behind her and opting to get away from them as quick as possible, she began to hurry along back to the main building until she was out of sight in an attempt to lose them from her tail. Back in Six's office, the meeting between the three was finally starting to wrap up as Thatcher gave into the idea of doing background checks of possible outside people.

"I mean, it's a start to track where Girard initially got his start in the criminal world, but at the same time, we're dealing with one of the most feared men in the world. We'll be lucky if we somehow manage to locate one of his old accomplices," Thatcher noted, still uneasy with the idea.

"Well Mike, there is one possible man that we could target if we're talking accomplices…" Thermite mentioned.

"And that person would be?"

"That guy that was with him when we raided Courchevel...think Olivier was his name, and no, not that Olivier that you knowingly hold a grudge against because of one training session."

The idea seemingly intrigued Six, but Thatcher was now presently trying to block out the memory he had of the Frenchman that he decked sometime ago.

"I'll contact the prison where those two were held. Get some names, see what else we can come up with. In the meantime, I think you two gents should inform everyone else about the situation, mainly those who were originally on the raid. Till then, meeting dismissed," Six acknowledged, closing the file.

Once those words were final, the duo got up from their seats before swiftly departing their leader's office, with Thatcher taking the file with them. Thermite seemed thoroughly confident in his idea, but Thatcher was still displaying expressions of hesitation, mainly in part to the fact that the man he had been tracking for so long was now out on the run once more. Suddenly, he angrily punched the wall beside him, slightly startling Thermite.

"Six bloody years I've been hunting down this fuck...and now of all sudden, he's out on the run again after breaking free. Why...just fucking why…" he muttered, slowly drawing his fist away from the wall.

"Jesus Mike...just relax man. It's been a stressful time these past few months," Thermite mentioned, slightly backing off.

"I can't just fucking relax, mate. For a better part of the decade, I've been trying to hunt down that bastard Girard and shut down his operations, but guess what? That sonuvabitch isn't giving up easy and is now back out in the wild, free to do as he pleases. If we don't find and put an end to him and the Masks soon...then the entire world may be fucked," Thatcher responded, glaring back at Thermite.

The Texan backed off more from the Brit before the elder member left Thermite by himself as he went back to the main building, the file clutched tightly in his hand. Thermite couldn't remember the last time he saw Thatcher so upset with himself, but it was definitely a long time since the previous time. Shaking his head, he slowly made his way after the SAS member, knowing that what was to lie ahead of them would prove to be one of the longest and grueling missions to date since Rainbow's inception.

* * *

 _June 26, 2018_

 **Time: 7:03 A.M.**

It was another early day for Storm as he was already well awake following his usual wake up at five in the morning. Waking up at the time usually gave him more than enough time to himself as it allowed him to check on other personal activities that were ongoing back home in the States. He couldn't remember the last time he had spent time with his parents in person or even any member of his family for that matter, but he was thankful to have some way to contact them thanks in part to different messaging systems. Sifting through the tabs he had open on his computer, he aimlessly wandered about on the web, sometimes even randomly searching up things just to kill time or see if it was worth his time and interest. Suddenly, a swift and loud knock banged on his door, slightly irritating the American as he went to answer it. His irritated demeanor stayed with him upon seeing that it was Sledge on the other side, and immediately both felt the tension rapidly grow between them as they looked at one another.

"The hell you want? Pounding on my door…" Storm spat through gritted teeth.

Sledge only gave him half a smirk in return before turning from the door and back towards the stairwell.

"Mike wants those who were part of the operation in capturing Girard to meet in the conference room ASAP. Something urgent came up...that's all I'm allowed to say," the Scotsman responded, descending back down to the first floor.

Storm watched him with silent anger before retreating back into his room, swiping his phone off his desk and usual black hoodie off the back of his chair before exiting and heading down the stairs himself. The interior of the base was rather cold for a summer morning, but it was probably just to combat the heat that usually struck midday, making a person sweat even if they were just standing outside. Trotting down the empty corridor, Storm slowly recollected the events that took place back in Courchevel, starting with the break-in, to the shootout, and eventually to the capture and interrogation of Girard before he himself was admitted to the hospital later that morning. Regardless of the past, whatever it was now pertaining to Girard must've held some importance, especially if Thatcher was the one calling the meeting. Entering the conference room, the atmosphere was about as deathly quiet as the hallways and Storm himself was surprised that he was the last one to show up as everyone else had already arrived. Ash, Thermite, and Hibana were conversing in one corner, Jackal, Caveira, and Glaz in another, while Sledge and Thatcher were whispering among themselves. He made no immediate sign himself to get involved except just lean himself up against the nearest wall while he surveyed the room. It was somewhat uncomfortable to be in such a quiet environment, especially with the subject being someone they had managed to capture only about a month back. Glancing, Sledge caught sight of Storm before relaying it to Thatcher. Nodding in response, he clapped his hands together a few times as he moved towards the middle of the room, garnering everyone's attention.

"Alright, listen up, we got some real serious shit to discuss today and I need all of you to listen very fucking carefully so you understand our current strife," Thatcher stated.

Motioning to Thermite, the Texan moved up to the stand that had the same laptop from the previous time all of them met and with a simple click of the mouse, images of Girard and Olivier popped up onto the projector screen behind Thatcher.

"If you all remember, you took part in a mission in France about a month or so ago and captured these two men: Jourdain Girard, and Olivier…."

"LaRue," Thermite added.

"Olivier LaRue. These were the two men leading the cell that was hiding out up in that chalet before you lot put an end to whatever it was they were brewing. However, things have gotten bleak in recent weeks…" Thatcher continued, muttering the last bit.

The slideshow moved on, this time with the image of the destroyed convoy vehicles in ruin with police cars parked all around the crime scene.

"On Monday, June 4th, there were alarming reports of explosions and gunfire down the road from the prison that Girard and LaRue were originally incarcerated. Police arrived at around 10:00-10:30, and all they found was the burning wreckage, with no sign of the two White Masks who were scheduled for a transfer that night. It's believed now that they're hiding either deep in the woodlands or potentially holed up in the Alps. Intel teams are still working on the situation, but other than that, we still have no clear idea as to where they ran off."

The group exchanged confused looks with one another before returning their attention to Thatcher.

"Now, I know you're all wondering how the hell are going to find them if we don't got anything concrete, right? Well, we're going to start from the very beginning of these men's criminal lives...by delving into the criminal network in France."

Moving to the next slide, a close up of Girard's neck tattoo popped up onto the screen, which only brought more confusion to the group.

"Now I know I said that Intel teams don't have much on Girard or LaRue for the time being, but that's only location wise. History wise, with some help from Six herself, we were able to track where this tattoo originated from. Jordan, if you would…"

"That tattoo marks that Girard himself used to be a member of Unione Corse, a French criminal gang that was well active between the 30s and 70s, but they are apparently still working to this day. If we're able to slip someone in undercover, we could get some valuable information extracted from them in order to help us track down Girard and LaRue much more quickly," Thermite finished, turning the projector off.

"Who would be the one to go in though? None of us really speak any French fluently, if at all," Jackal commented with the others nodding in agreement.

"That's why we're planning to insert someone who has expertise in this in kind of operation. Dominic is going to be the one we're sending out since he's done some undercover work in the past, mainly back in his home country of Germany. Now, the main reason we called you guys in aside from mentioning this is because all of you are going to be the spearheads of this operation we're planning to carry out once we have everything set. Codename: Grand Protector," Thermite added.

The information still continued to confuse the group, however, Storm seemed to be one of the only ones really understanding the whole situation as did Ash, Sledge, and Glaz.

"To wrap this up, we'll be dividing you guys up into three separate teams, each group having to deal with certain bits of information that you all specialize in. First off, Seamus and Taina, you guys will be the Interrogation Team, along with Dominic once he's done with his assignment. If we're able to bring someone of importance in for questioning, you three will be the people trying to squeeze out as much as you can. Feel free to use whatever cheap tactics you got, but don't go too far to the extent that you kill the bastard. Yumiko, Ryad, and Jordan will be dealing with the people who we know are dealers specializing in explosives and arms. Occasionally, you'll have the chance to work with Shuhrat and Maxim in that department since they're gadgets are well known for their capabilities, along with. As for Aiden, Eliza, and Timur, you three will be dealing with the missions in attempts to find those who are playing hard to get. From time to time, you'll be either participating in the assignments given to you, or you'll be the ones issuing orders, along with Ela due to her experience from Orange Sky. I know it's a rather sudden move to give you guys leadership in that, but trust me, you're the best that we see fit for now," Thatcher stated, inhaling and exhaling a heavy breath.

Everyone in the room looked at the respective people who were part of their groups, with Thermite and Storm relatively satisfied with who they were given. It was a sudden slew of information to handle, but everyone knew that it would take time to get into the new rhythm that would ultimately become their new daily routines until all was said and done.

"Other than all that, there's not much else to discuss for the time being. All I can really say now is be prepared for the training sessions to become more rigorous and downtime to be a bit more scarce because of all this. I promise though, once we're finally done and dealt with Girard, we're taking a vacation to make up for this. Until then, you guys are dismissed," Thatcher finished, waving his hand in front of himself.

Storm was the first to leave, while most of the others stayed behind, except for Thatcher and Thermite who left through another door, most likely on their way to Six's office for another meeting regarding the White Mask situation. The last time, as far as Storm could remember for himself, he had to ever do anything of this caliber was hunting down the warlord back in Laos. The haunting tale started to creep back in his mind at the first instance he remembered, making him angrily shake his head as he refused to let the memory resurface. Puffing out a sigh, he stared up at the ceiling as he continued down the corridor, wondering what would become of Rainbow if they happened to fail in this…

"Yo, Aiden!"

The voice caused him to return to his normal posture as ahead of him was the young Brit, Sidewinder. The man was energetic as always, and despite the tiring regiment that everyone in Hereford had to follow, it didn't seem to bother him one bit.

"Jeez man, why the sullen look? You look like you've seen a car wreck."

"It's more than that Christian…"

"Can you tell me?"

Storm shook his head at the question.

"If you want the answer, go ask Mike. I just need time to think to myself after what me and some others were told."

"Seriously? Why do I got to talk to the old man?"

"Cause I don't know if he wants the briefing he gave us to remain confidential. I wouldn't sweat it too much until it's brought up. Hmm...perhaps I can just tell you this: Things are going to get a lot more intense here."

Sidewinder's eyes slightly widened at the statement.

"Whatchu mean?"

"You'll find out eventually. By the way, how you doing with Meghan?"

Sidewinder's face reddened at the question, causing his shoulders to tense up a bit.

"Eh...getting there. I mean, the past week or so I've been able to train and workout with her, so it's a start so to speak."

"Heh, you'll get there eventually."

Storm continued to walk on by, slapping Sidewinder on the shoulder as his thought process resumed on the briefing. Knowing the extent of work he was going to have to go through again, that meant less time to relax, less time to act casual, less time to spend with Ash even though they were working in the same group. He didn't know if should label it a curse or not, but he still knew the main priority they had was locating Girard...and all of that would begin with Bandit taking upon his undercover disguise once more.

* * *

 _June 28, 2018_

 **Location: Courchevel, France**

 **Time: 4:43 A.M.**

Despite the lack of quality rooms, Jourdain was managing well in the temporary housing that his men had set up for him and Olivier before their break out just weeks prior. In the time that they had been holed up in the warehouse, they had been avoiding any and all activities concerning them except making calls to check in on the other White Mask groups. The one that always stayed on Jourdain's mind, however, was the cell of White Masks spread across the northwest in the United States. Despite being at least a decade since he had seen them, he could still remember the conferences he attended in rural Oregon, back when there was a sense of direction and pride within the terrorist group, but over the course of those ten years, that ideology appeared to have faded into near obscurity, and Jourdain was pretty much only looking at him and his men as the last hope for the White Masks to ever achieve their goal in the cause they had set for themselves, but even that seemed like a stretch. Looking at the wooden table he sat before, he aimlessly sifted through the reports that his men had given to him, along with the occasional updates from Olivier while he constantly tapped his pen against the table's edge. After some time, Olivier walked into the room with a folded sheet of paper held in between his hands. Jourdain tiredly looked up from the papers to Olivier, only to be dismayed at the sight of the paper as he raised a hand to his temple.

"Qu'est-ce qu'il y a cette fois?" **(What is it this time?)**

Without saying anything, Olivier quietly slipped the paper to Jourdain before leaving the room, greatly baffling the Grandmaster. Shaking his head, he opened the parchment, and his dismayed expression soon turned to surprise upon seeing the top of the paper. The same image of his tattoo was stamped on very top center, and immediately he knew who had sent him the letter. Silently, his eyes wandered over the paper as he read its contents before setting it down with a bemused smile.

"Donc, il se souvient de moi après toutes ces années…" **(So, he does remember me after all these years…)**

For Jourdain, it was good to know that one of his old contacts, even mentors, remembered him after his time in being with Unione Corse. However, aside from contacting his mentor, there was still the matter of having to get in touch with the White Masks over in the States, but he wasn't even sure if they would be willing to cooperate, especially after the failed biochemical attack on Bartlett. Regardless, he absentmindedly picked up the phone next to him before dialing the number, anticipating an answer. After several seconds had gone by, he received no response and tried again. This time, there was a tired, gruff voice on the other end.

"...Hello?"

"Bonjour, my friend. Is a Mr. Logan Davenport available at this time?"

"Who's asking?"

"Jourdain Girard."

A wave of silence washed over the other end, with only a stifled cough being heard.

"One second…"

Shuffling noises were faintly heard in the background of the call, along with muffled voices before the call was picked up again, this time by a man with a slightly deeper voice compared to the previous man.

"Girard?"

"That would be me."

"Holy shit...I thought you were in jail."

"I was Logan, but my men managed to get me free, even if it wasn't by stealth protocol."

Logan was still a bit silent on his end, recovering from the shock that his old comrade was still active.

"What are you up to now since you're not locked up?" Logan inquired.

"Planning revenge, what else? However, I did get a letter from someone I was good friends with back in Unione Corse. You remember them right?"

"I think? It's been so long since I've been to France. What was it...Robert something…"

"Robert Portier. That's the man who taught me the ways of how to make people submit to fear and how to influence people through their greed. A very useful teaching if I do say so myself."

"Isn't Rob like fifty, almost sixty now though?" Logan wondered.

"Age is but a number mon amie. Even when you're reaching an elderly age, that doesn't stop you from doing any work for the group you're part of. If you can work, why stop? Who is there to stop you except the enemy?" Jourdain fired back, snapping his fingers.

Logan shrugged as he sighed into the phone.

"Guess you're right. Anyways, what's with the call this late?"

"We need to hold another conference, Logan. The group has lost its way."

"I've already tried several times Jourdain. No one's willing to listen to anyone these days. We're broken as a whole, and at this rate, there's almost no point in continuing with what we do."

"You always did give up so easily in spite of things...whatever...just get whoever you can to attend it. The date for it will be exactly six months from today and I expect a decent sized audience, Logan."

A slightly irritated grunt escaped the American's lips.

"Alright, fine. I'm telling you now though: if this doesn't go well with a majority of the people, you owe me."

"As if I don't owe you enough as is Logan…"

With a bemused smirk, Jourdain hung up the phone, slamming it down onto its rest. There was much to be done, and he was thankful to have two starting points to work within the forms of former comrades. With his plans already set in motion for what was to take place in December, Jourdain could now focus on what he had to deal with in his homeland, but also the group that was the everliving thorn in his side, along with every other White Mask...and that group was Team Rainbow: the group who always fucked them over no matter what the odds were.


	12. Chapter 12: Internal Struggle

**Hey guys, it's been awhile hasn't it? Sorry for the long wait, but here's Chapter 12 finally. Not exactly my best or proudest work, but I wanted to get something uploaded since I know you guys have probably been wondering when the hell I was gonna upload the next chapter. It was a struggle to get this done especially since I was trying to work on this since finals week is real soon and not to mention I'm having to deal with making sure I have all my graduation requirements fulfilled. Once May breezes by, I should hopefully be back to writing quality content for you guys and have Chapter 13 be better then this chapter.**

 **Until then, I'll talk to you guys later. Enjoy reading.**

* * *

 _July 2, 2018_

 **Location: Hereford Base, Herefordshire, UK**

 **Time: 3:41 P.M.**

The atmosphere within Hereford was almost deathly quiet with the news of recent events. Starting yesterday, everything was kicked into high gear as the training for each group was rotated on and off, with at least two or three groups partaking in some physical training throughout the day. There were those that were exempt from the sessions however, mainly those who were assigned as group leaders within the operation of Grand Protector as it was labeled. Out in the training yard, the GSG 9 trio of IQ, Blitz, and Jäger were currently working on building up their stamina as they jogged about with Blackbeard watching over them. Bandit would've been with them, but he was already deployed in France yesterday afternoon in order to commence his undercover operation at Six and Thatcher's request. It wouldn't be his first rodeo in going undercover, but it had been ages though since he had done something so covert and risky since he was fully exposing himself to the enemy. The fact of the matter left great worry in his teammates, especially Blitz since he always felt the need to protect them at all costs given his history as a shield carrier. IQ had constantly assured him that Bandit would be okay on his own, but the shield-wielding German still couldn't shake the worry out of his system, and it only grew when he saw his squad mate leave for the airport the other day.

"I'm still vorried about Dom…" Blitz muttered.

"Ah, lighten up vould ya Elias? Dom vill be fine," IQ assured for God knows what time.

"I can not zimply lighten up knowing zat one of my squadmates iz out there risking his life more zan need be," Blitz responded, his tone of voice growing more serious.

"Oi, save your breath for the time you're jogging guys. Still got two more laps to run before you're done for today," Blackbeard called out.

The Navy SEAL continued to overlook the trio as he crossed his arms over his chest, slowly pacing from spot to spot. As much as his expression didn't show it behind his sunglasses, he was also greatly worried about how the entire operation would go and how it would affect everyone at Rainbow whether they succeeded or failed in eliminating Girard. The two people, then again maybe three, he was mostly concerned about were his long-time partner Valkyrie, his former student Vigil, and surprisingly Storm given the former PMC's mental stability and how the man was coping with it. PTSD was never something that a person could easily deal with, let alone return to a military career and somehow join the most elite global counter-terrorist unit. Lost in thought, he was rather startled when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he was rather surprised to see Vigil standing before him.

"Jesus Chul, nearly giving me a heart attack here," Blackbeard jokingly stated.

The Korean shrugged at the remark before turning his attention to the three Germans.

"They're greatly worried about their comrade aren't they?" Vigil inquired, watching the trio starting their second to last lap.

"It's really the only thing Elias was talking about the entire time earlier. I mean, all of them are definitely concerned with Dominic's safety, but I think Elias is the one who's the most concerned."

"Can't really blame him."

"I can't either. I'd be the same way if you or Meghan went missing on me."

The comment did make Vigil feel grateful to have such a caring friend and mentor in Blackbeard, but his body language showed none of it as he kept his stone-like personality while watching the GSG 9.

"So, what brings you out here anyway?" Blackbeard inquired, not taking his eyes off the Germans.

"I was bored. Already did my morning workout and was just looking for something to do or entertain myself with to kill time. I would keep an eye on Grace, but she's just kept herself in her room for today it seems," Vigil responded.

"Speaking of that, why do you make it such a big deal to keep watch over her? She's nearly your age and I'm sure she can handle things herself."

Vigil quietly chuckled at the American's question.

"It's because of her past. One of the ROK leaders, Major General Kuh to be exact, wasn't exactly fond of her, and she wasn't fond of him. I'm sure she could've messed with him if she wanted to, but if it weren't for the fact that Kuh has ties leading all the way up to the Blue House, then I'm sure Grace would've embarrassed the hell out of him in some manner."

"The Blue House?"

"South Korea's residence for its president."

The new info greatly shocked Blackbeard, causing him to turn his focus from the Germans to Vigil.

"You mean to tell me that the guy who practically hates Grace's guts is friends with the President of South Korea?"

"More or less."

"Christ…"

Blackbeard raised a palm to his face, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Answering your question though, I only monitor her to ensure I don't have anything bad or negative to say about her when I report back to the officials back home. You'd be surprised as to how many people actually want her career to be over with…" Vigil finished.

"I can only imagine," Blackbeard replied, returning to his focus to the trio.

The three were practically on their last lap as they passed the marker that indicated they had reached the halfway point. Blitz was strongly leading ahead of the other two, who were starting to show signs of exhaustion as they started to drag behind the youngest member of the GSG 9, who only held that title due to him being a year younger than IQ.

"I think I've got a cramp in my side…" Jäger groaned, clutching at the left side of his rib cage.

"Come on Marius...we're almost done...don't quit now," IQ panted, trying to keep up with Blitz.

Jäger struggled to keep up with the blonde German, let alone Blitz. The pain in his side was starting to eat his speed away as it hindered his ability to run effectively. Eventually, IQ slowed herself in order to give Jäger the helping hand he needed while Blitz continued to chug along in the lap. After what seemed like another grueling twenty minutes, the three finally finished their final lap, with IQ and Jäger coming in after Blitz, five minutes after he already completed the lap.

"You good there Marius?" Blackbeard inquired.

"Ja, just a small cramp iz all…oww…." the German replied, keeping one hand on his side while he was practically leaning most of his weight into IQ.

"At least you're done for today. You guys can head back and rest for the next two days. Make sure you got your gear ready for then since we'll be practicing different scenarios that day," Blackbeard ordered.

The trio gave a simultaneous nod while Blitz went to go help IQ in aiding Jäger back to the main building. While dragging their pained squadmate, the three happened to bump into Dokkaebi, who had her hair fully down rather than up in the twin braids she usually kept them. Surprisingly, she also wasn't wearing her usual beanie that she normally wore.

"Hey, any of you seen Chul?" she questioned, her head still somewhat darting in all directions.

"Ja. He's outside talking with Jensen right now," Blitz replied, trying his best not to drop Jäger.

Without missing a beat, Dokkaebi continued to stroll on by the three in order to locate Vigil. It wasn't too long before she easily located her male counterpart, who was still in a rather active conversation with Blackbeard. Almost with pure determination, she gripped Vigil by the arm as she reached the two before starting to drag him off, much to his surprise.

"I'll be needing him for a second, Craig," Dokkaebi stated, pulling Vigil along.

Confusion was clearly spread across the other member of the 707th, but Blackbeard gave him a simple wave before walking off to another area of the training yard. Dokkaebi this time was the one remaining silent while Vigil was trying his best not to trip over his own feet while his female counterpart dragged him through the corridors.

"Grace...where are you taking me?" Vigil wondered, trying to keep a steady pace.

"Somewhere private. We need to have a talk…" Dokkaebi replied, her grip slightly intensifying on Vigil's arm.

After weaving through a few more sets of halls, the two eventually wound up on the second floor where their living quarters were. Making sure that the corridor was clear of any other people, Dokkaebi flung the door open to her room before pushing Vigil inside, nearly shoving him to the ground as he stumbled in. Following after him, Dokkaebi quickly closed the door before locking it behind her as her breathing grew slightly heavy from the rush.

"You know if you wanted to talk, all you had to do was ask," Vigil calmly stated.

Inhaling a sharp breath, Dokkaebi suddenly whipped around with her hand cutting through the air. A loud thwack echoed in the room as the back of her hand went across Vigil's right cheek, completely catching the man off guard as he slightly backpedaled. He didn't show any emotion in response, except let out a sigh of disappointment.

"Should I even ask what that was for?" he asked, turning his head back around so he was facing Dokkaebi.

"You know damn well why I did that," she angrily responded, her hand now clenched into a fist.

"I don't really."

Dokkaebi felt the urge to punch him right then and there, but she held herself together as she pressed her nails into her palm while staring Vigil down.

"You're always fucking following me around like you're some creep or stalker. What is with that, seriously?!" she demanded, anger rising in her voice.

Vigil simply rubbed at his cheek while cracking his neck a bit as he looked back at Dokkaebi, who almost appeared to be on the verge of throwing herself at him if he didn't respond quick enough.

"It's for certain reasons," Vigil noted, returning his hand to his side.

"What reasons?"

Dokkaebi took one step closer to Vigil, but he remained unphased by the approach.

"Hey, I asked you a ques-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll put it to you this way: Some people wanted me to simply watch over you in order to monitor your behavior while we're here at Rainbow," Vigil responded, waving his hand in front of him.

The gap between the two became shorter as Dokkaebi took another couple of paces towards him, but he still remained stone-like as their staredown continued.

"What people?"

"That's a bit rhetorical if you ask me…"

Forcefully, Dokkaebi shoved him back a bit with her forearm, almost knocking him into the desk behind him but he easily caught his balance as he took the chance to lean himself up against it a bit.

"And that's you not answering my question again," she spat, her voice becoming more hostile.

"Honestly Grace, think clearly for a second: Which man from South Korea wants to see your military career permanently ended? Think. Out of every military person you've met, who do you think wants to see you halted?" Vigil responded, folding his arms over his chest.

He had a point. This entire time she was more venting her frustration towards him than anything rather than actually think about the situation she was in regarding her previous experience in the ROK Army. Uncurling her fists, she bit her lip as she looked down at the ground pondering Vigil's question. It didn't take long before the answer struck her as she looked back at her male counterpart.

"Kuh...he'd be the one…"

A slight smirk crossed Vigil's lips as he nodded at the answer.

"But...why would he send you after me?" Dokkaebi asked, now completely puzzled.

"Stealth really. You know how I operate on the field, so he figured I'd be the most suitable pick to go with you in order to monitor your behavior and intentions. In all honesty, at this rate, I could care less about what he wants from me. I'm not here because I wanted to be someone's puppet, but I'm here because I wanted a change of pace in my life...as if that hasn't already happened before," Vigil stated, gloomily reminiscing on his fragmented childhood memories.

The air between quickly grew silent as Dokkaebi walked over to her bedside before sitting on the edge of it as she rested her elbows on her knees. Vigil didn't seem affected by the silence they had since he was accustomed to it all throughout his life. Out of all the members in Rainbow, he was probably the most mysterious one since there was very little background information regarding him since the only information that most had on hand of him was his military career. Other than that, there wasn't much of a tale to tell about Vigil.

"Well...if there isn't much else to discuss, I got some other work to take care of," Vigil noted, starting to make his way for the door.

Dokkaebi remained quiet as Vigil reached the door, but the moment she heard the door click as it became unlocked, her head perked up.

"There is...one last thing…"

"And that is?"

"We got a briefing to attend in two days at the request of Aiden. Masaru brought me the news earlier, but he didn't mention anything else after it."

"Right. Any idea on what time it's at?"

"I'd assume sometime in the morning since Masa mentioned it being held early in the day."

"Got it."

With that, Vigil turned the knob to open the door and then departed the room. Descending back down the stairs to return to the first floor, he could only imagine what lied ahead of them in they were the first group being called in for a mission, let alone by Storm.

* * *

 **Time: 8:01 P.M.**

It had been an excruciatingly long day for Storm as he had holed himself up in the conference room with files scattered about on the large table he was sitting at. Constantly he tapped the pen in his hand against the table as he started to reread the file before him with bloodshot eyes. While he knew that what he was currently doing wasn't good for his health, he knew that at the same time he had to be well aware of what was currently happening given the Girard situation. Flipping to the next paper, he cautiously scanned for the various key bits of information that he needed ready for the briefing on Wednesday, and he was determined to make sure that every bit was covered to the fullest even if it meant pulling an all nighter to ensure he had everything set. Frustrated, he closed the current one he was reading, shoving it to the side before he pulled the next one from the pile before him and began to skim through it. His eyes were pulsating in pain and with every blink which caused him to occasionally rub at them in an attempt to ease the pain as he read. In front of him, a bottled water was placed by his right hand. Looking up from his reading, he wasn't all surprised to see Ash standing on the opposite side from where he was sitting.

"You look like hell," she mentioned.

"And I feel like it," Storm drearily responded, setting the file down.

Ash gently nudged the bottle more in Storm's direction, which he took as a sign to drink. He followed without resisting as he gulped down about a quarter of the bottle before setting it back down. Tiredly, he let his head hang just above the table as he kept himself supported with his forearms.

"How long have you been in here?" Ash inquired, crossing one leg over the other.

"A majority of the day. First got in here around ten this morning and have been here since."

"Without a break?"

"I've had breaks, but it was mainly to stretch and whatnot while giving my eyes and brain a rest."

"You have eaten though, haven't you?"

Storm slowly nodded in response.

"Gustave ended up stopping by a few times to bring me what was available for food."

Storm reached for the next file ahead of him, but Ash's hand stopped him mid-reach.

"Eliza, let me work."

Ash shook her head at the request.

"Not with the way you're looking. You'd be better getting some rest now and come back to finish this off later before the briefing on Wednesday."

Storm let out a deep sigh as Ash tried to push his hand back, but he resisted it as his determination to see his research complete was the only thing keeping him awake in his current state.

"I'm not resting until I'm done with the day's work," he stated, trying to grab the file.

Ash kept pushing against his hand in an attempt to stop him, but his strength wasn't fully depleted despite his tired state as he kept pushing back. Eventually, she fully encircled his wrist in order to try and gain an advantage on Storm, but that appeared to only make the former PMC more determined to get at his work to the point that they were essentially playing tug of war. It seemed like an eternity as their hands constantly shuffled back and forth on the table until Storm stood up from his chair in order to gain some leverage by pulling up and back. However, the quick jerk of the hand ended up catching Ash off guard as he practically lifted her up off the ground and over the table, sending her crashing into him as he crashed back into the chair behind him, knocking it over as they landed on the floor. The impact left Storm in a daze as he briefly saw double vision, but what had him confused was the fact that he partially felt suffocated by whatever was on top of his face, making it slightly redden as he could only think of one thing.

"Um...Eliza…"

The female member of the FBI SWAT group slowly raised herself up from her prone position with a hand raised to her temple. Even though she wasn't looking at him, Storm could easily deduce what exactly had landed on him, but he exhaled a long breath to cover up the silence as Ash quickly regained her bearings.

"You're stubborn, y'know that?"

"Maybe that's why you love me"

Ash playfully slapped Storm on the cheek in response to the comment. Despite the awkward position that the two were in, with Ash practically straddling Storm out of pure chance, they made no acknowledgment mainly in fact to the part that Storm was exhausted as is and frankly, he found laying down on the floor far more comfortable than being seated in the chair.

"Just so you know, I'm not letting you up unless you promise me right now that you're going to stop working for today and get some sleep," Ash stated, resting her weight on Storm's lower abdomen.

"I'm fine with sleeping on the floor," Storm tiredly replied.

Ash rolled her eyes at the response, earning a groggy laugh from Storm. Absentmindedly, she ran her hand through his short, spiked hair as she let out a sigh herself. Storm looked more half-asleep than awake as he continued to lay on the ground and he didn't bother to shift his position. After a few more minutes had passed, Storm appeared to have passed out on the floor as his eyes remained closed and his breathing had relaxed while Ash was still messing with his hair. Taking the chance, she shifted her position in order to make it easier to lean forward, planting a soft kiss on Storm's lips before deciding to let it linger a little while longer. Unbeknownst to her though, someone had caught sight before she could even detect them.

"Woah, excuse me for not knocking first in this situation," the voice called out, a Spanish accent accompanying it.

The surprising voice nearly made Ash fall right onto her side as she jumped in surprise, but she caught herself with her hands before hurriedly pushing herself up to her feet. Turning around, her stare made contact with Jackal who was scratching the back of his head out of embarrassment. While slightly upset that the moment was ruined, she was thankful that it was only Jackal and not someone else like Caveira or Mira who came through instead.

"Heh, sorry for walking in unannounced," Jackal chuckled.

"At least you aren't Taina," Ash responded, pushing herself up to her feet.

"Why's Aiden on the floor?"

"Uh….."

Ash didn't know how to exactly formulate an answer, but Jackal didn't seem to mind as he could hear the man sleeping on the floor.

"Ah, he must've passed out from exhaustion. Man, shouldn't have stuck yourself in here the entire day amigo," Jackal stated, laughing.

A silent sigh of relief escaped Ash's lips as Jackal continued to laugh at Storm.

"What are you doing here this late Ryad?"

"I ought to ask you the same thing amiga, but I would assume you came in to check up on him. I wanted to ask him about the briefing that's gonna be going down, but looks like he's unable to answer that question for the time being."

Storm was starting to slightly snore at this point, but the two Rainbow veterans blocked it out from their ears as they stepped outside to converse in more peace.

"He looks like he'll be out for awhile," Jackal commented.

"He's been working in there since early morning, Ryad. I don't think anyone saw him leave the room at all, and if anyone did ever see him, it was probably because they were entering the room themselves," Ash noted, adjusting her braid.

"Jeez, didn't think he'd be that committed to the operation."

"I was surprised too."

A chuckle escaped Jackal's lips, earning him a look from Ash.

"What's funny?"

"Just never seen Aiden so hard at work like this. I mean, he's only seen how much action...one mission here at Rainbow? Now he's still healing from that gunshot wound, but the fact that he willing put himself through hell today says something."

He had a point. Up until now, Storm had done little next to nothing in his short time in Hereford except participate in the capture of Girard, who was now unfortunately loose again, but he proved himself to be strong asset in fighting against the pain of the wounds he had received in the firefight in the dining room. She had heard of the tales from the nurses about his constant groans and cursing throughout the nights but she knew it was only a way of trying to ease the pain as it meant channeling all that pain into anger and rage to the point of exhaustion. The thought made Ash chuckle, but it was certainly just another thing added to the list of things that made Storm that much more interesting to her in her heart.

"Yeah...but I just don't want him hurting himself from this experience. Every day we're alive here is just as stressful as before, but this is probably the most stressful thing we're having to put up with since the incident at Bartlett. I can only imagine what obstacles we'll have to deal with this time in the Girard case."

"You worry too much Eliza. Besides, Mike's the one overlooking this entire operation, so you already know we got the brains for it. Aiden and the other squad leaders are just for the sake of keeping everyone in line while maintaining each squad's respective roles in this. Even you should know that."

"I suppose you're right…"

Leaning up against the wall, she rubbed her arm out of anxiety as the worrisome thoughts continued to float around in her head. Just even thinking about all of this gave her slightly haunting memories of the carnage she saw at Bartlett.

"Anyways amiga, why don't you get some rest yourself? I'll drag Aiden back to his room for ya."

"I'm not tired."

"But you seemed stressed. Trust me on this Eliza, just go get some rest. I'll make sure Aiden sees to his room once I get him off the ground."

Ash felt the need to retort, but she held her tongue in exchange for a defeated sigh.

"Alright...just don't drop him on the way up."

She patted the Spaniard on the shoulder before heading back off to her room while Jackal went back into the room and started to lift the body of the sleeping giant. The movements stirred the American awake, nearly startling him as he scrambled backward whilst maintaining his silence.

"Jeez, relax amigo. It's just me man."

Storm still looked around in panic before his bearings started to come back to him. Exhaling a breath, he drew his knees up, resting his elbows on top of them as he looked at the ground.

"Aiden, you alright? You seem lost in a sense…"

"I'm...fine. Just tired…"

Briefly, he scanned the room before turning his attention back to Jackal.

"Where's Eliza?"

"I sent her back to her room. Told her she could use some extra rest."

"Okay…"

For some reason, Storm couldn't shake off an unwell feeling that had recently struck him. He felt like he was ill, but at the same time, he didn't think it was sickness or anything of the sort. Just something to him didn't seem right, and the more he thought about it, the more light-headed he felt which only became worse as he stood up, forcing Jackal to catch him from falling down to the ground.

"You sure you're good Aiden?"

"Yeah...I'm fine...just need to lie down is all…"

"If you say so. Let's get you back up to your room then."

Steadily, Jackal kept Storm up on his feet as he slowly dragged the tall man out into the hall. Every step, however, only made Storm feel more disorientated and he wondered what exactly was causing him such discomfort as they trudged along down the corridor. For a fact, he knew it wasn't another one of his PTSD episodes, but it felt much worse than what he had experienced before. Next thing he knew, everything slowly faded to black as he felt his body hit the ground with what sounded like Jackal faintly calling for assistance.

* * *

 _July 3, 2018_

 **Time: 10:01 A.M.**

" _Everything hurts…"_ is all Storm could keep formulating in his mind. He almost had no idea or even any indication as to what the time of day was, let alone what the current date was since he blacked out. The only thing he really saw before him was the set of lights that was set above him, but just looking at that made him feel slightly dizzy from the brightness of the lights. Aside from that, he could feel something was over his mouth and he could assume that it was an oxygen mask. Very faintly he could hear footsteps clicking against the floor, but he made no move to turn his head and see who it was. Soon enough, Doc was looming over him as he looked down at the American, clipboard in hand.

"Nice to see you're finally awake Aiden."

"..."

While he was responsive, talking was the last thing he wanted to attempt since he felt like rest was the only thing he really needed. Doc jotted something down on his clipboard as he continued to examine Storm, slowly pacing his way around the bed that Storm was situated on.

"You certainly gave Ryad a scare when you collapsed last night. Practically had the entire place on high alert when they found you unresponsive, but at least you were still breathing just fine. Seamus and Mark ended up carrying you here, so once you're out of this place, I believe you owe them some thanks."

Just hearing Sledge's name made him internally groan at the sound of it. The two weren't exactly on the best terms considering what the Scotsman tried to do on Storm's first day at Hereford. Something in his arm disrupted his thought process as he could feel something being jostled in it and the only thing that came to mind was an IV. If that was the case, then the reason why he must've collapsed could've been due to dehydration or something close to it.

"In case you're wondering why you're exactly here, diagnosis shows dehydration, but also anxiety as well. So more or less, you basically had a combination of lacking fluids and also an anxiety attack that landed you here."

" _Anxiety attack? How?"_

"A word of advice monsieur, dial it back on overworking yourself. You could've damaged yourself much more if it weren't for Eliza's intervention while you were in the conference room."

" _Does she even know about this? Wait...of course she would know by now…"_

A groan escaped Storm's lips as he gently pressed his head back further into the pillow it was resting on. He felt sick to his stomach, but in a way, he also felt stupid for pushing himself too much in order to prepare himself for the mission briefing that was only a day away now.

"Mike's coming down later to address your status and situation. Hopefully, you're more talkative come that time."

Storm slowly blinked in response before Doc left him alone as he continued to stare up at the light fixture that sat above him. He just couldn't shake off bad luck could he? If it wasn't his PTSD affecting him, then it was something else that affected him either physically or mentally and he wondered if had to deal with his past. Closing his eyes, all he could do was let his mind drift back into a state of wonder until Thatcher ultimately showed up to talk with him.

* * *

 **Location: Nantes, Pays de la Loire, France**

 **Time: 11:48 P.M.**

It had been God only knew how long since Jourdain last set foot in the city of Nantes. The last he could really remember finding himself wandering the streets of the city was when he was working under Portier in Unione Corse and that was several years ago. As per usual, Olivier had accompanied him on his excursion when Jourdain normally traveled since Olivier was the closest ally he had since Rainbow had raided their chalet hideout back in Courchevel. Usually, the two would've kept their heads low for some time, but Girard, however, knew that Nantes was a safe haven since Portier had a way with bribing the police and ensuring safe transport for those who had proven their worth to him. Olivier was also having to assist Jourdain maneuver a bit since he was still healing from the beating he received at the hands of Sledge and Caveira, but the medic they had back at their hideout assured him that he would make a full recovery in the coming weeks, but for the time being, Jourdain had to move about with the assistance of a cane and occasionally rely on Olivier in certain situations. The night was relatively cool given the summer month, but neither seemed to be affected by the dry, hot air as they continued to stroll along.

"I'm surprised that Robert wanted to meet with you so urgently," Olivier noted.

"I can say the same. However, if he wanted to meet so urgently, I can only imagine that needs a favor called in or there's something that he wants to explain in detail. Not to mention the fact that he ensured that we saw very little issues in traveling here. He always did think a good five steps ahead…" Jourdain chuckled.

Ahead of them, a bearded man with short hair rounded the corner, scratching the back of his head as he looked at the piece of paper he held in his hand before aimlessly looking around. Jourdain immediately tensed up at the sight the person, confusing Olivier as he looked at his mentor.

" _Fucking hell...here we are mouthing off in English, and I completely forgot about the possibility of spies. France is on high alert after what we pulled..."_

In the middle of his thought process, the man soon looked up at the two with a blank stare on his face, but it soon turned into a welcoming grin as he approached the two.

"Excuse me, but do you gentlemen know where I can find zis place?"

" _What the...a German? Phew...okay...false alarm there."_

Olivier took hold of the slip that the bearded man had in his hand. The contents of the paper contained an address of sorts with a name alongside it. The Frenchman's eyes slightly widened at the find before handing it off to Jourdain.

"Huh? Oh, um...let's see...wait, Robert Portier? You're looking for the Robert Portier?"

"Business meeting of sorts really. You two know him?"

"Eh, yeah. I used to do work for his business myself some years back."

"Oh, zat's nice. Do you think you could take me there? I really don't know my way around here since zis is my first time visiting Nantes."

"Oui. We were actually on our way to see him."

Motioning the man along, the trio continued walking along the cobblestone sidewalk. Internally, Jourdain was breathing sighs of relief, but Olivier remained unphased by the small talk as the bearded German trailed behind them. Unbeknownst to them, a rather sinister smile had crept up on the man's face as he followed them, a smile that only people from Rainbow would know...and that was the victorious smile of Bandit as he had his targets right in the palm of his hand.

"By the way, sir?" Jourdain called.

"Yeah?"

"What's your name by the way?"

"Cedrick Müller. I'm originally from Bremen, but I vanted to take a crack at becoming an entrepreneur and vanted to start internationally. My family recommended France as a starting point."

The story seemed to satisfy Jourdain as he nodded along with the response while Bandit quietly chuckled behind them. He knew now it was only a matter of time before he learned of the plans that they had lined up for the future and once that was taken care of, the timer for the downfall would soon start and victory would be an easy cinch for Rainbow...so he assumed...


	13. Chapter 13: In the Belly of the Shark

**Author's Note: First off, I want to apologize for the time it took to complete this chapter. I recently graduated high school back in May and I wanted to get some IRL stuff taken care of before continuing this and my mind just completely forgot about this until very, very recently. Figured I kind of just shorten what I originally had planned for this chapter, but nonetheless, Chapter 13 is finally finished.**

 **I don't know when Chapter 14 will be up, but hopefully sooner rather than later as I'm still trying to sort out some IRL crap. Enjoy reading guys :)**

* * *

 _July 14, 2018_

 **Time: 8:42 P.M.**

 **Location: Nantes, Pays de la Loire, France**

"Shit, shit, shit…"

Things had not gone the way Bandit had anticipated whatsoever. Hobbling through the multiple back alleys was a dangerous tactic, but if it meant losing his pursuers, he was willing to take the risk. His left knee was screaming in pain with each step, and his elbow was twisted awkwardly to the point he had to hold it in place himself as he staggered about. The footsteps behind seemingly got louder and louder no matter how many twists and turns he traversed. Taking another sharp turn, he dipped inside a small alcove that offered some shelter from plain sight, but his breathing remained heavy as his body constantly screamed at him for the hell it had been put through. There was a mix of voices shouting at one another as his pursuers were still in the middle of the wild goose chase.

"Where is he?"

"He couldn't have gotten far. Benoit clipped him pretty good."

"The moment I get my hands on him I'm gonna fucking strangle him."

"None of that. Portier wants him alive."

Bandit sharply held his breath as the footsteps slowed as the group continued to search for him, taking extra care in checking every square foot of ground. Hastily, Bandit started to fiddle for his earpiece, but the pain in his elbow made it difficult to reach for it. After a few more excruciating moments, he finally switched it on while letting out quiet pained groans. No response came through at first, but soon enough there was a friendly voice on the other end.

"Dom?"

"Monika...shit's bad. I'm hurt bad."

"Where are you?"

"Some alley in Nantes right now...oh shit, hang on…"

He immediately went silent as he heard footsteps pass by. The White Mask member paused in his steps, taking a careful search around him before doubling back to where he initially came from. A painful sigh of relief slowly escaped Bandit's lips as he leaned up against the near wall, with IQ's voice snapping him back to the danger he was in.

"Dom, you still there?"

"Ja…"

"How hurt are you?"

"One of my knees is banged up and I think my right elbow is dislocated pretty bad. I'm practically having to hold it in place right now."

"Shit…"

The female member of the GSG 9 unit struggled on how to respond, chewing her lip in an attempt to find the words to put her squad mate at ease.

"There isn't much I can do in this situation to help you Dom. You're best bet is to either lie low and wait them out or make a dash for a safe place like the hotel or some public establishment."

"Damn...alright. I'll still be on comms, but I'm gonna need everything to stay quiet."

"...Gotcha you slippery prick!"

Swiftly, he looked up from his position and in a flash he saw a metal bat starting to come down towards him, but Bandit immediately ducked the shot before shoving the man away with his good arm before nailing him down low with a stiff kick to the groin, causing his attacker to keel over in pain. Taking the window of opportunity, he started to book it once more as the assailant rolled about on the ground in agony, loudly cussing and soon enough the same familiar footsteps were heard and they were rushing in the direction of the German.

"Dom, what's going on?!"

"I've been compromised. AGHH….fuck, my knee…"

Each step felt like his knee was about to disconnect from his leg, but he persevered through the pain in order to get himself away from the White Masks. Eventually it started to buckle beneath, forcing him down onto one knee in bad shape. He was completely vulnerable at this point, but using whatever strength he had in him he managed to crawl away into another small space to hide himself. It wasn't the best spot, but hiding behind a dumpster in this kind of situation was probably the best thing he could've came across as he crawled around it and positioned his body so he was fully hidden from view.

"Fuck…"

Feeling his knee, he immediately took note of how swollen it had become in such a short span of time. The combination of the hit he took and also the fact that he was constantly putting weight on it was making it worse and extremely difficult to work with. At this point, even standing was going to be a hassle and a half to do, but if he wanted any chance of getting out safe, he had to risk it.

"Monika...you still there….agh, shit…"

"Yeah…"

"You're more than likely gonna have to send a rescue team for me...there's no way I'm gonna make it…"

"Dom, you can't give up!"

"The fuck was that noise?"

"Shit…"

The footsteps sounded more rushed as Bandit went silence once again, but immediately they stopped as soon as they started. The hairs now really stood on Bandit's neck as he heard them tread closer and closer to his vicinity. He could feel sweat starting to roll down his face, but what wasn't helping was how he could still hear IQ shifting about on the other end.

"Dom…"

"Shh…"

"He's close."

Despite the slow steps, they grew increasingly louder as the White Mask group was scattered about, checking every corner they could find. A bat was heard clanging against some other metal object in the direction opposite Bandit, and he could only assume it was the same man who assaulted him earlier. The throbbing pain in his knee kept him from thinking straight and his attempts to muffle his groans were almost in vain at this point as he constantly tried to adjust the position his leg was in order to ease the pain a bit. If only he could just get another open window of time to run, maybe he could…

 _CLANNNNNGGG!_

The dumpster he was hiding behind was suddenly pushed into the far wall, completely exposing him to sight. Six White Mask members stared him down, with Benoit still holding the same baseball bat he used to disable Bandit slung over his shoulder. Weakly, the German forced himself up onto his feet, but not before hearing some faint clapping quickly fall in front of him as an elderly gentleman stood among the center of the group.

"You've done well to infiltrate my inner circle for the past week, Monsieur Müller. Yet, I'm afraid your time is up, at least for whoever it is you're working with."

"Portier…"

"Yes, yes that is my name."

Abruptly, Bandit drew a pistol out of his jacket and quickly aimed it at Portier, but before he even had the slightest chance to squeeze the trigger, two of the White Masks pounced on him and easily knocked him onto the ground before wrestling the gun away from him. At this point, there was no chance of escape and resistance was futile as they dragged him up onto his knees, restraining him by his arms as Portier walked up to him, flanked by Benoit.

"Ah, youth. So eager and full of energy, but never think quite clearly sometimes don't they? I remember being like that when I was your age, maybe a little younger. Thank Christ I learned my lessons...unlike you Cedrick."

Bandit could only snarl in response, but this made the two goons yank on his arms in retaliation, shutting him up once more as the pain proved too great fight against with the added injury of his elbow. In his ear, he could still hear IQ slightly breathing into their comms and he desperately wanted to shut her up, but he didn't want to blow his cover even more. Thankfully, the night had masked the presence of his earpiece while Portier continued to look over him.

"I really do wonder who would be stupid enough to send someone like you into the belly of the shark, Monsieur Müller. Did they want you to die? Do they even care about your safety? You really should've considered what was being offered to you."

"I ain't no mercenary you prick…"

Benoit agitatedly took a step forward, but his progress was halted by Portier who stepped up to Bandit himself before socking the German across the jaw with a decent right hook.

"I'd watch your tongue, boy. You're in my jungle and I've got you caught in its vines. There is no escape, no can save you, nobody can hear you. So, here are your options: You continue fighting back and I'll let Benoit finish what was started until your face is caved in and looking like roadkill. You cooperate with us and we'll _consider_ going easy until our conditions are met, or, you do what's right and join us. Join us...and we'll ensure you get treatment."

Turning his head, Bandit spat a drop of blood out onto the concrete before looking back up at Portier, silent as can be.

"Silence won't get you anywhere, boy."

In the heat of the moment, Bandit simply spat straight at Portier, covering the man's lower half of his cheek in blood before having his arms wrenched in different directions, forcing him to lower himself down out of pain.

"I see your answer has been decided. Gentlemen, carry him back. We have much to do with him..and Benoit, don't fucking kill the bastard."

Rather than lift Bandit back up to his feet, the two men simply dragged him across the ground as they followed Portier and Benoit back to their meeting house. Inside, Bandit felt completely helpless and defeated, but his demeanor refused to show it as the men tugged on his arms, his elbow continuously screaming in pain. The only that was making him feel worse though, was the fact that he could hear IQ try to keep her sobs to a minimum as he felt himself slowly blacking out from the pain.

* * *

 _July 29, 2018_

 **Time: 2:56 A.M.**

Pain. That's the only thing that had been floating through his mind for the past couple of weeks and nothing more. His body had been mangled by the metal bat of Benoit and his face was covered in scratches and cuts from the times someone's nail dug in too deep or they skimmed their blade across his cheeks, forehead, and wherever else on his face that they could inflict injury. His hands had been bound behind him, tight enough to the point where it felt like his hands were losing circulation, but thankfully he still had movement within each finger and luckily his wrists too. His bad knee, on the other hand, had swelled up to nearly the size of a tennis ball and each day it felt like the inflammation kept growing and he was losing mobility in the leg every so often, almost now to the point where he could barely bend it at all. The room they had locked him away in was roughly the same size as a typical jail cell, but without the confiding steel bars and bunk that would typically be there. Instead, there were only four overhanging lights that illuminated the room, along with a few common candles dimly lit around the room for purposes he didn't know unless it was for intimidating him even more, but he paid it no mind. In between his feet, were the shattered remains of his earpiece and only use comms he had available to him and with it gone, he was truly alone in the dark now. The last thing he could remember from it was the pained cries of IQ as he watched Benoit stomp it to bits before clubbing his knee with the bat once more. It was a painful memory to relieve, but it was the only thing keeping him sane since it kept reminding him about his squad mate. Beside him, there was a small stand that held an empty pitcher and a plate that was littered with bread crumbs from the daily slices he was fed by his captors. Portier himself had come in on occasion to personally interrogate Bandit and even torture him a little bit with Benoit's bat, but it was mainly Benoit doing most of the dirty work in order to break Bandit. He came close to breaking a few times, but often times it was him blacking out before he could say anything, leaving only a frustrated White Mask brute. Before him, the lone door that led into the room opened up and in stepped the two men he was constantly mulling about aside from Portier and Benoit: Girard and LaRue. The last time he had seen them was when they helped him locate Portier, but now here he was at their mercy when he thought he was the one in the driver's seat. Girard was plainly laughing at the sight of Bandit sitting in the chair helplessly while LaRue looked on in pure silence as the two approached the German.

"Hehehe...what do we have here…" Girard sneered, rubbing his hands together.

"Fuck you…" Bandit hissed in retaliation.

The German was promptly met with a slap across the face from the White Mask leader, the wounds on his face stinging even more as some were still open and now starting to slightly bleed again from the impact. Forcefully he gritted his teeth as he angrily looked back up at Girard who only sinisterly chuckled in response as he seized hold of Bandit's jaw.

"Listen here you bearded prick...you're in my house now, not Rainbow's."

Bandit's eyes visibly grew wide at the mention of Rainbow. How did he know that he was part of Team Rainbow? The only people he had encountered in recent times were those who intercepted and captured him at Courchevel, but how would he know that he was part of the team? Another slap palmed across his face, Girard sinisterly laughing at the merciless Rainbow operative as he grabbed him by the throat this time.

"Hehehe...I can easily tell that you're curious as to how I know you're part of Rainbow...Dominic…"

Bandit's eyes widened at the sound of his name.

"You may have the others fooled, but I saw right through it. The number of times you and your friends have squandered my efforts, it's typical at this rate. I should've expected your little group coming after me when I was hiding up in Courchevel, but I let my guard down too quickly. Yet, here I am now with one of you weasels…"

Girard continued to laugh at Bandit before suckering him across the jaw with a right hook that stunned the German as his head tilted back.

"Olivier...get the tools. We have much work to do today…"

Olivier nodded in compliance before exiting the room, leaving the other two alone. Placing his hands on his hips, Girard leaned forward, looking Bandit right in the eye before letting out another sinister laugh.

"How pathetic…"

Before Bandit could get a word out, he found himself gasping for more air as Girard slammed a fist into his ribs, causing the German to cough and sputter as he folded back up in agony. Soon enough, Girard returned with a cart that contained a variety of objects. A hammer, jugs of water, lighters, matches, pliers, it was practically tools designed for torture. Bandit's eyes glanced over in the direction of the cart and immediately he felt his stomach churn at the sight of what was waiting for him. Girard seized hold of the man's jaw and turned him so they were looking at one another again.

"Here's what's gonna happen you little shit. You're gonna tell us what exactly it is that Rainbow is plotting, otherwise we're gonna make you suffer for as long as we please. You fail to comply...well...let's just say you might find yourself becoming rat food by the end of tomorrow, Dominic."

"Go and fuck yourself."

Girard responded with a backhanded slap across the German's face before grabbing a hold of the hammer first.

"Now, tell me, dear Dominic, what exactly is Rainbow planning?"

"Fuck you."

"You're not my type. I'll ask again: What are they planning?"

"Piss off…"

Shrugging, Girard whipped the hammer down into the injured knee of Bandit, eliciting a pained howl from the German as he writhed in agony in the chair.

"You motherfucker….AGHHH….I'll fucking end you!"

"Suuuuurrrrre you would. Besides, look at the state you're in. You really think you could kill me? Now, tell me this: Who's the leader of Rainbow? Who overlooks the operations and who's responsible for gathering funding for the team?"

"Fuck…."

Girard raised the hammer with a cocked eyebrow, daring Bandit to finish his statement as the German looked back up at him.

"FUCK YOU!"

 _CRRRRRUUUUUNNNNCH!_

Another pained howl roared from the German as he effortlessly flailed about in the chair as the pain in his knee skyrocketed. There wasn't another time he could remember being this painful whenever he was out on a mission except for the occasional gunshot wounds he received. Even then, those combined did not compare to the immense amount of pain he was going through.

"Who...is...leading...Rainbow, Dominic?"

"Grrrr…."

"If you tell me, I'll stop with the hammer treatment. Who knows, I might even spare your only good knee."

Bandit tightly curled his fingers into his palmed as he tried to keep himself composed as the pain continued to surge through him. The pain was almost something worth crying about, but he held himself together as he looked back at Girard.

"Six….a woman we only know as Six…"

"Anyone else?"

Girard rested the claw part of the hammer against Bandit's knee as he continued to stare down at the operative with malicious intent.

"Two of our top operatives...Thatcher and Thermite…"

"Their real names if you would…"

"Aghh…you motherfucker...Mike Baker and Jordan Trace. Those are the three who mainly watch over everything. No one else."

Bandit leaned his head back, constantly gritting his teeth as he tried his hardest to keep his screams within, but he was barely manageable as he writhed in the chair, his knee starting to swell even more than what it was previously. Setting the hammer back down on the cart, Girard overlooked his options, briefly glancing up at Olivier before surveying his options once more.

"What do you think would be a fitting question, Olivier?"

Olivier looked up at the damp ceiling as if seeking for an answer himself before looking back at Girard.

"The people who attacked us. Mainly the ones who used a considerate amount of force in trying to detain us."

"Heh, I know just what you're talking about."

Grabbing one of the jugs off the cart, Girard returned to Bandit with it under his arm and a cloth on top of it. In the back of his mind, Bandit knew that meant only one thing...waterboarding.

"Like Olivier just mentioned, there a few other names we'd like to gather. The people, in particular, are that brutish bald man, that woman with the face paint, the that had the visor, and the other man that was with him."

"I'm not saying. You know the leaders and who runs the joint should be good enough for you, Jourdain."

With a harsh kick, Girard easily tipped Bandit's seat back before standing over the prone operative.

"Tell me again Dom, who are the ones making the rules here in this place? Oh, wait that's right, the White Masks. Not fucking Rainbow!"

Girard sharply kicked the German in the side of the head before placing the cloth over the man's face and soon he began to pour the jug's contents onto his face. A gurgling noise could audibly be heard from beneath the cloth as the water continued to flow over him. If he wasn't careful enough, he could possibly drown, but thankfully, Girard relented before pulling the cloth up so Bandit had the chance to speak.

"Who. Are. They?"

"...Sledge, Cave-"

"Ah, ah, ah...their real names, Dominic…"

"...Seamus Cowden...Taina Pereira...Ryad Ramirez Al-Hassar...and Aiden Mitchell…"

"There, now was that so hard?"

Violently, Girard chucked the jug down on Bandit, bouncing it off the man's chest before the rest of the contents spilled across the room. He pulled the operative back to a vertical base on the chair before giving him another solid hook across the face as he removed the cloth from him.

"You know, I'm having a lot of fun playing this game. What about you Dominic?"

Bandit chose to remain to silent as he feared getting another knock to his jaw if he tried to open his mouth. He lowered his head so he could stare at the ground while Girard went back over to the table, debating which weapon he should torture the man with next.

"You know, if I really want answers out from you, this will prove to be perfect…"

Girard held up one of the pliers in his hand with a sadistic grin. The images that ran through Bandit's mind greatly disturbed him as he helplessly looked while Jourdain approached once more. Before either had the chance to exchange words, there was a sudden burst of gunfire echoing from outside the building, surprising both White Masks while Bandit found himself too weak to even force a smile.

"The fuck? Olivier, keep watch here. I'm going to investigate what's happening."

LaRue nodded in agreement as Girard scrambled out of the room, throwing the pliers down out of haste before bolting down the hall, screaming something in French as Bandit struggled to keep himself awake. The more he resisted, however, the more he felt himself slipping. Whether it was towards death or towards blacking out once more, he would happily take either at this point.

* * *

 **Time: 3:17**

"Give it everything you've got team! Don't cease until we know where Dominic is!"

Sprays of gunfire echoed across the night sky with the muzzle flashes constantly lighting up the darkness for brief moments of time as bullets were continuously exchanged. Up front, Thatcher was taking cover in one of the many alleyways while Sledge was directly across from him, each of them taking turns in firing at the White Masks while Sidewinder shot from afar with his CornerShot gadget. A little ways ahead of him, Blackbeard was pelting people with long-range fire from his marksman rifle while Zofia was practically mortar launching some of her concussion grenades into the fray, visibly stunning some of the enemies before they were dropped dead from Rainbow's continuous barrage of bullets.

"Move move move!"

The five instinctively rushed forward as the White Mask numbers continuously dwindled to the point that they had been forced back inside, even closing many of the doors they had available as a means for extra cover, but Sledge tanked through each one with his breaching hammer while Sidewinder and Blackbeard laid suppressing fire. There were several shrieks of pain and blood-curdling screams as the hail of bullets continued to kill more enemies with each passing wave. About two stories up, Jourdain looked down at the ongoing carnage before bolting back with a slightly panicked expression.

"Shit shit shit shit!"

He burst through the door that led to the room that Bandit was still being held in, surprising Olivier, who accidentally toppled the cart over as he looked back at his boss.

"Forget Dominic. We have to get out of here now!"

"Wha-why?"

"Fucking Rainbow. They must've tracked us here somehow, but now's not the time to think about that. Let's move!"

Hesitantly, LaRue nodded in agreement as he rushed out of the room with Girard guiding him down the opposite way from where he came from. Back in the main foyer, the nearly endless assault continued as the five-person group continued their way up to the second floor, where they were greeted with more gunfire from the White Masks who took the time to set up some small fortifications in order to buy time.

"Fuckers are holding up pretty well," Sledge remarked, evading a small volley of bullets.

"They'll be dead soon enough," Sidewinder noted, squeezing the trigger on his weapon, watching another body lifelessly collapse to the floor.

Zofia fired off two more of her concussion grenades, forcing some of the White Masks to stand up from their positions due to the torment they experienced but they immediately fell back down as quickly as they stood up as the three Brits unloaded into them with their rifles. One tried to rush and get the jump on Thatcher, but Sledge immediately stepped up and caved the man's face in along with their mask with his hammer, leaving a massive puddle of blood on the floor.

"Fuck me running," Thatcher commented as the team raced up to the third floor.

"Where's Dominic at?" Blackbeard inquired, slapping his backup shield onto his gun.

"Somewhere here on this floor. It's just a matter of finding out which room he's in," Thatcher responded, ducking behind some makeshift cover as four more White Masks showed up.

Without any hesitation, Sledge chucked a frag across the hall, comically bouncing off the face of one of the Masks before exploding and killing two out of the four while severely injuring one of the others while the other began to limp around as a piece of shrapnel was now lodged in their leg. Stepping out from his cover, Blackbeard squeezed the trigger on his rifle a few times, precisely landing four shots to the limping Mask's chest that soon left them dead. The remaining one tried to crawl towards safety, but Zofia quickly neutralized him with a bullet to the back of the head from her pistol. Sidewinder hustled forward, posting himself at the corner as he peeked around to check the corridor. He signaled "all clear" with his hand, but a cautious air still loomed over the group as they slowly trekked down the decrepit hall.

"Dominic! Dominic?! It's me, Mike!" Thatcher yelled out, trying to locate any sign of Bandit.

No response came about which greatly disturbed the Rainbow leader as he continued to lead the others down. Thatcher, Sledge, and Sidewinder continued to progress further, but a shout from Zofia quickly halted them in their tracks as they saw Blackbeard dash into one of the open rooms.

"He's here!" she yelled.

The other three hustled their way after the two, stumbling upon the gruesome scene. Bandit was still visibly bleeding from the beating he took earlier as streams of blood trickled down his face while his knee appeared to be the size of a beach ball with the way it had swelled up.

"Dominic...Dominic!" Blackbeard screamed, trying to shake the German awake.

Thankfully, the man's eyes began to flutter open out of a mix of the loud voices and the erratic shaking movements. Although he was able to somewhat move himself about, the toll that his body had taken practically left him unable to speak as his body spoke of exhaustion.

"Fuck...how is he?" Thatcher inquired, watching the hall once more.

"He's alive. Heavily beaten, but he's breathing at least," Zofia remarked, checking over Bandit's injuries.

"G-G-Girard…" Bandit murmured, pain etched in every tone.

"What's he saying?" Zofia asked, tending to her companion's facial injuries.

"Something about Gi-"

 _BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_

Before Blackbeard had a chance to finish his sentence, a monstrous explosion rocked the entirety of the building, causing bits of the ceiling to fall along with the roof even starting to cave in.

"Shit, we need to move him out of here and quick!" Sidewinder noted, slinging his weaponry over his shoulder.

"Thatcher to Blackbird, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear, Zatcher. What iz it zat you need?" Jäger inquired through his headset.

"Marius, we need evac fucking ASAP. We got Dominic, but if we don't have transportation to get out of here, all of us could wind up dead!"

"Roger. I'll be zere as quick as I can. ETA thirty minutes."

The comms went silent once more as the trio of Blackbeard, Zofia, and Sidewinder freed Bandit from his bindings before performing a team lift and quickly shuffling out of the room. The entire team soon started a massive hustle to get back down to the ground floor as the building continued to shake in a violent manner with the roof collapse almost seeming imminent with each passing second. Upon reaching the ground floor, there was a loud groan from the building and loud squeaks of metal as they rushed to the door. All they could soon hear around them was the rain of concrete and metal crashing to the ground as they continued to sprint for the door.

* * *

 **Time: 3:58 A.M.**

Olivier was in the midst of catching his breath as Girard had leaned himself up against one of the dark walls of a nearby building. His arms were folded under his chest, with his left thumb evidently pressed against a button of some kind on a device. There was a smug look of victory shining across his face as he faintly chuckled to himself.

"Well...at least we got what we wanted," Girard noted.

"Yeah," Olivier wheezed.

"We can't let something like that happen again. We were damn lucky to escape in such easy fashion, but who knows what could happen next."

"What's the plan then now, Jourdain?"

"If we can get to Portier's estate we can easily secure a way out of here. The quicker we leave Nantes, the better."

Olivier simply nodded in agreement as the two began to run off once more. Even though Olivier was surely confident of the plan he had at the ready, he seemed to caught up in himself that he didn't even hear the sounds of the helicopter blades slicing through the air in the distance, landing at the same building that had just been demolished at the hands of the Grand Master himself.


	14. Chapter 14: A Call For Help

**Uh...Hello?** **I honestly have no idea how long it's been you guys and I apologize for leaving you all hanging on the wait for Chapter 14 after all these months but writer's block was proving to be a MASSIVE asshole this time and only just recently after some help from friends was I able to overcome it. Creative juices are flowing again so hopefully, I'll be able to churn out a few more chapters this year and start to delve into real some good stuff with this story.**

 **As a quick note: Since we'll finally be hitting Chapter 15 when it goes up down the line, figure I do something special for it and do a Q &A to put at the end of the chapter as a fun little thing for you guys to read. So with that in mind, if you guys got any questions in mind, shoot me a PM on here and I'll answer it as best I can (and make sure these questions are legitimate and not something dumb like "Which Operator would you smash?" or something along those lines).**

 **In the meantime, you fine folks enjoy reading this Chapter and I will talk to you all again when Chapter 15 goes up :)**

* * *

 _August 7, 2018_

 **Time: 9:42 A.M.**

 **Location: Hereford Base, Herefordshire, UK**

"Right knee rupture...multiple lacerations across the face...bruised ribs...massive internal damage...condition...serious."

Those were the only words that Doc had kept muttering ever since Rainbow had retrieved Bandit from the White Mask hideout in Nantes. When the retrieval team first brought the GSG 9 member in, a wave of silence engulfed the entire base upon seeing the nearly lifeless body. The only signs that showed life were the man's faint breathing and occasional head roll as he was transported to Doc's office. For the past six days, Doc had relentlessly been working on trying to keep Bandit from seeing the light, nearly losing the man twice in his efforts to keep his heart beating but thankfully he eventually became stable after the fifth day with today providing some relief except for the others in the GSG 9. Blitz and Jäger had kept to themselves in relative silence while IQ had come by at least four times a day to overlook the progress being made.

Today, however, was no different as Doc continued to closely monitor Bandit's health. The beep of the heart monitor served as the only noise in the room while Doc continued on with looking over the injury report issued to him by Blackbeard. Even though the pages still remained the same, he felt the need to constantly leaf through them out of habit and also the slight possibility that there might be something he could've missed despite analyzing it thoroughly multiple times. The door to his office clicked open, quickly capturing the attention of Rainbow's resident doctor as he was greeted by a somber-looking IQ, arms resting against her sides as she entered, avoiding any if all eye contact with Doc upon entry.

"Bonjour, Monika."

The blonde German ignored the salutation from her comrade, her eyes more fixated on the body that was laying on the medical bed nearby. An oxygen mask donned on the man's face along with various equipment surrounding him with an IV drip inserted in his right arm. From afar, Bandit just about appeared to be dead to the naked eye but the heart monitor signaled otherwise with its constant beeping. Slowly, IQ made her way over to the bedside, her somber face now focused on the man who was one of her closest companions on base. Absentmindedly, she found herself reaching for Bandit's hand, lightly taking hold of his index and middle finger. With a sigh, Doc made his way to the other side, clipboard still in hand.

"I know you're worried about him but rest assured that I'm doing my absolute best to ensure that he recovers. He may not be the same once the healing process is complete but at least he'll be ready for combat come the end of the cycle."

"It's all my fault…"

"Huh?"

"Dom's condition...if only…"

Evidently, tears started to flow down her cheeks as she struggled to finish the sentence. Despite having seen the same scenario several times in his medical career, Doc couldn't help but feel a twinge of pain in his chest, throat tightening on him as he continued to overlook. Quickly turning, he tapped the pen in hand against the clipboard, trying to figure how to proceed with the situation. Even he'd admit he wasn't the greatest psychologist since he was more specialized in dealing with physical injuries and not mental scars but sometimes he had to play both sides of the field.

"Monika…"

He didn't know how else to proceed with the situation given the dire straits that Bandit was standing in. Things had been starting to become bleak for Rainbow as the trail leading to Jourdain was starting to become cold once again and now they're members were starting to suffer. Morale was starting to take a dive and everyone knew that if they couldn't anything under control then their world would be fucked.

"...I'll do everything in my power to ensure that Dom comes out of this as best as his body will allow. You have my word on that," he stated with a firm nod of his head.

"Danke…" IQ replied, wiping away the tears.

Just then, the door to the medical room opened up, capturing the duo's attention as the figure of Thatcher entered the room. There was a solemn look he bore as the secondary leader of Rainbow let out a sigh at the sight of Bandit.

"How's he holding up, Gustave?" Thatcher inquired, closing the door behind him.

"Stable but still in serious condition. It's one thing for those scratches and cuts to heal on their own but I'm more concerned about the internal damage done to Dominic. They gave him one hell of a beating and once he's fully healed, I'm pretty sure he'll want revenge," Doc noted, tucking the pen into his coat chest pocket.

"He isn't the only one wanting payback. Elias was pretty livid himself and I'm none too pleased either with how this turned out. I know our main objective is to ensure that Girard gets thrown back behind bars but whoever the Unione Corse fuck is that got Dominic captured needs to be served a cold plate of justice. That fucker is going to know what hell is really like once we get our hands on him," Thatcher sternly stated, his demeanor now serious.

"Right, of course. Monika, if you don't mind, I need to step outside for a few moments. There's something I need to discuss with Monsieur Baker here."

IQ nodded in compliance and quietly left the room, tears still gently flowing down her cheeks. With a sigh, Doc placed the clipboard down on the nearby desk, rubbing his temples.

"These last few days have been painful to bear," Doc commented.

"You're telling me. Between having to deal with Six's anger and also having to ensure that everyone else in the squad is holding up has been having its effects on me," Thatcher responded, sliding a hand into his pocket. "By the way, where's Aiden at?"

"In his room, resting. I've told him to take it easy in training exercises and focus more on gradually working his way back into them step by step rather than fully thrust himself back into action."

"Good, good," Thatcher remarked, nodding along.

"So, Mike, tell me. How exactly are we supposed to plan on getting back at The White Masks? Clearly, we're dealing with our own internal problems but at the same time we have a duty to maintain and that's to prevent someone like Girard from causing harm across the globe. As it stands, the entire country of France is in danger but who knows where else the organization has hideouts."

Thatcher let out a sigh as he leaned up against the door.

"That's the part I'm still trying to figure out with Six and Jordan. Effectively, we're pretty much back at square one with the trail now cold after Girard managed to escape and we really have no other leads than the Unione Corse members who were helping him out. We're in a rut so to speak."

"Have you had any contact with Petrus since the night of the raid?"

"Not a whole lot since this is really our problem and not really the French National Police's but I've been conferencing with him on how they should move with the case."

"Perhaps I could be of some assistance in this," Doc stated with a slight smile.

"Assistance in what manner?" Thatcher inquired, raising a brow.

"There's someone I've been monitoring for some time mainly due to a condition she suffers from but she's rather talented in her work. Maxim is the only other person to really see how good she is in a fight but I promise she can be helpful in this scenario along with a companion of hers."

"I'm interested to see what you bring already, Gustave. For the time being though, let's put it on hold. I still got other things to sort out with Jordan and Six and of course there's the situation with Dominic here."

"I understand, Mike."

"Right. I'll be off then and hopefully, everything works out here."

The two exchanged mutual nods before Thatcher exited the medical room, leaving Doc to himself once more as he picked the clipboard back up. From the bed, a slow, pained grow emanated from the injured Bandit.

"It may not be pleasant, Dom, but at least I know you're still fighting," Doc remarked.

Reaching down, Doc picked the phone up that sat on the corner of his desk, dialing a number that was quickly picked up, bringing a slight grin to Doc's face.

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, I need some assistance right now and not medically but in terms of tracking down someone. I know that companion of yours could also be of some help considering that gadget he carries with him."

He rolled his eyes as the voice on the other end replied back.

"I know he isn't on the best terms with us after the incidents that have occurred between our organizations but I'm sure Gilles would be happy to see him again. If everything works out in the end, I'm sure Six would love to bring you both on board as a result."

He nodded along with the voice, another smile flashing up on his face.

"Alright then. Look forward to working with you again."

* * *

 **Time: 11:02 A.M.**

The afternoon was drawing closer in the day but Storm was one of the few in the building who paid little mind to it as he laid on his bed, earbuds in with music playing on his phone. His body had been enduring the effects of the anxiety attack he suffered days ago and if he was being honest, he didn't mind laying in bed all day since it was definitely something he had deprived himself of. However, even with the extended rest, Storm felt entirely drained as drummed his fingers against his chest in time with the song that played in his ears. In his other hand, the cellular device vibrated in his palm, capturing the drowsy operator's attention. Lazily, he pulled the phone up to his face.

 _1 new message from Eliza_

Flicking his finger against the illuminated screen, he opened the texts him and Ash had been exchanging over the past few days since he collapsed.

" _Hey."_

" _What's up?"_

" _You holding up okay?"_

" _Yeah. Just laying in bed currently."_

" _Feeling any better?"_

" _Sort of. Just really tired."_

" _Told you to take a break. This is why you don't overwork yourself, Aiden."_

" _Yeah, yeah. I'll remember for next time."_

" _You better. Otherwise, I'm gonna be constantly reminding you about it."_

" _Alright, I'll be easy on myself next time."_

The phone vibrated once more, this time displaying a text message from Sidewinder. Switching conversations, Storm pulled the one up from the newly recruited Brit.

" _Yo, Aiden."_

" _What's up?"_

" _Not much, big man. Just kickin' it with Mark and James in the rec room. You trying to come and chill with us?"_

" _Not today, Christian. My body's still trying to recover from what happened."_

" _Ah, right right. Another time then."_

" _How's the hunt for Meghan going?"_

" _That? Eh, still trying to see if she'd be available for a date sometime soon but with the whole Girard fiasco going on that plan is probably gonna be sitting on the back burner for a bit."_

" _Good luck with it."_

Powering the screen off, Storm set the phone next to his side as he adjusted his head against the pillow. All he could really do at this point was just lie in bed for the time being since he had nothing else to do until Doc cleared him to resume normal activities on base. With a long-winded sigh, he closed his eyes as he let his mind drift away with the music that continued to play in his ears.

{...}

* * *

 _BANG! BANG!_

"Get the fuck down!"

 _BA-BOOOOOM!_

"...?"

Storm's eyes slowly fluttered open at the noise. It didn't sound like it was exactly inside his room but somewhere outside and below. The first floor perhaps? His eyes quickly shot open as the smell of smoke filled his nostrils shortly followed by the sounds of fire alarms going off in the corridors. Rocketing up from his head, he leaped onto the floor, starting to make his way over to the door before it was kicked in, a pistol-wielding White Mask standing before him.

"Get the hell out of my way!"

Aiden charged the man, a single bullet fired in his direction that just barely grazed the operative's shoulder to almost no effect as adrenaline pumped through him and in an instant he tackled the man out into the hallway, now wrestling for control as the two constantly rolled over one another in order to get the advantage. Punches started to be exchanged to the point the White Mask aimed the gun at Storm's head only to be punched away and down the stairs. Disgruntled, the terrorist threw the operative off, beckoning him with raised fists.

"You worth your salt, rookie?"

Stormed wiped at his nose, noting the bit of blood now streaked on his forearm. Cracking his neck once, he rushed in with silent fury, slamming the White Mask into the railing behind him only to unload with a flurry of elbows to the side of the head. Grabbing the man's head, he forcefully shoved it into the rails, rendering the man limp as he breathed heavily.

"Fucker…"

Wiping at his nose again, Storm hurriedly made his way down the stairs, picking up the gun along the way. Reaching the base of the flight, his face went pale as he saw the cluster of bloodied bodies on the ground, most of them Rainbow members.

"What the fuck...WHAT THE FUCK?!"

His voice rang out in the corridor as his fist tightened while his grip on the gun intensified. Taking in a few breaths, he cautiously ventured down the corridor, checking on the bodies in order to identify them and to see if any were still alive.

"Miles...gone. Elias...gone. Jordan...gone…"

There was a mixture of sadness and anger that pulsated within him as he continued to look over the bodies, closing the eyes of those that still laid open before moving onto the next one.

"Aiden!"

Instinctively, the former PMC pulled the pistol up, finger on the trigger but the rage inside him stayed contained as he realized who still stood alive before him: Sidewinder.

"The fuck happened here?" Storm inquired, looking the bodies over again.

"White Masks, that's what. They got some of our people held hostage right now somewhere in the building. We gotta rescue them!"

Storm clicked the pistol in hand.

"I'll make sure those bastards eat a bullet for every dead operative. Lead the way."

"Right. This way, come on," Sidewinder beckoned, drawing out his sidearm.

While they might not have been their main choices of firearms, a pistol was better than nothing that involved firing bullets. Quickly but quietly, the duo made their way through the halls, cautiously checking the paths ahead of them to ensure there weren't any immediate threats. Along the way, the two rushed past Doc's office, only for Sidewinder to double back, staring at the door.

"Christian, we gotta keep moving," Storm insisted, checking their surroundings.

"There could still be medical supplies in here. Best we grab these first before we go and save everyone so we can immediately provide first aid," Sidewinder noted, slowly opening the door.

Carefully, the pair entered the room. The room was littered with tools and scattered medicines and kits across the floor. Against the right wall, a trail of blood still appeared fresh as drops continued to fall on the floor from the bed that was pushed against the wall. Bandit had been easily murdered, a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead, in what appeared to be a struggle caused by the White Masks as they wrestled with Doc. Of the latter, there was no sign of him anywhere or any other blood trails, only leaving Bandit's.

"Dom…" Sidewinder murmured, his eyes becoming solemn.

"Fuck…" Storm cursed, kicking the wall beside them.

"I-I'll check for what's left. Watch the door," Sidewinder instructed, beginning to rummage through the scattered items.

Silence quickly filled the room as Storm pressed himself against the wall while Sidewinder carefully picked out what was laying at his feet. A few minutes passed before the former began to hear voices outside in the corridor. He hardly swallowed, readjusting his grip on the gun as his eyes zeroed in on the door's handle. A few more silent moments crept on by...then the handle began to rustle. Then it rustled even more.

"You trying to give us away?" a voice whispered.

"As if anyone would be here after we killed the bastard in that stupid bed. It's fine," another voice retorted.

Sidewinder had looked up from his position at this point, making eye contact with Storm who simply nodded at him, prompting the Brit to hide behind the metallic curtain on the left side of the room. The handle slowly turned, the door opening up as a White Mask stepped in, letting the door swing wide open.

"See? Completely fi-"

A bullet from Storm cut the man off as he dropped down to the ground with blood pouring out from the fatal wound. Two shocked voices rang out before the sound of guns being drawn accompanied by angered voices as they rushed the room. One sprinted all the way past Storm, leaving him almost entirely distracted from the other Mask that entered more slowly, gun aimed at Storm.

"Orders are shoot to kill. No hard feelings bud," the White Mask sneered.

A bullet from across the way struck the man's hand, forcing him to drop the gun, allowing Storm to pistol whip him over the side of the head, knocking him to the floor. From behind the curtain, Sidewinder possessed a small look of satisfaction at the assist, only for the other White Mask to grab him in a strangle hold from behind while Storm continued to beat down the other Mask, leaving Sidewinder on his own as he struggled in the predicament. Maniacal laughter radiated from the White Mask as he yanked on Sidewinder's neck.

"Time to say bye-bye!"

Keeping a secure hold with one arm, the White Mask pulled out a frag grenade, the maniacal laughter still persisting.

"Aiden!" Sidewinder called out, still struggling.

Storm looked up from the now knocked out White Mask, toward the other two. In a burst of adrenaline, he rushed over but the pin had already been pulled, a look of shock and horror on both Rainbow members' faces.

"BYE-BYE!" the White Mask screamed.

"Aiden, RUN!" Sidewinder barked.

"But, Chri-"

"JUST GO!"

Sidewinder twisted his body about, trying to loosen the Mask's hold on him, striking the man in the groin with the side of his fist. The blow forced the frag out of his hand, an object sighting that quickly made Storm turn tail at the behest of Sidewinder. The Brit dived for it only for the White Mask to dive on top of him, pinning them to the ground. The sounds of struggling persisted as Storm stumbled out of the room, only to be accompanied by an explosion, quickly rendering the room silent. Taking a moment to process everything, Storm raised his fingers to his temples, banging his head against the wall as tears started to silently stream down the side of his face.

"Dammit...dammit...dammit...dammit…"

Exhaling a tormented breath, he pushed himself away from the wall, knowing he had this mission to finish alone now. In a mixture that sounded like sobbing and despair only to quickly turn into frustration and rage, Storm clawed at the sides of his neck.

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE REST OF YOU? TOO SCARED TO COME OUT AND PLAY?!"

In a sprint, Storm rushed down the hall, the end almost nowhere in sight as it seemingly appeared to continuously extend multiple times. In his mind, he couldn't stop running as he knew that meant losing time to save his teammates. Suddenly, a bullet streaked toward him, embedding itself in his shoulder, forcing Storm to stop in his tracks as the adrenaline rush came to a screeching halt and pain began to shoot in all directions as he covered the wound with his gun carrying hand.

"Late arrival, Mr. Mitchell."

"The fuck?"

Storm snarled at the being before him as he turned from his wound to the source of his voice. Bearing a shit-eating grin was the man who been nothing but trouble and an agent of chaos: Jourdain Girard.

"You…" Storm growled, anger quickly rising.

"Yes, me," Girard chuckled.

"Where….WHERE DID YOU PUT THEM?!" Storm shouted, aiming his pistol at the White Mask leader.

"Relax...they're just past here. You know, shouldn't let rage consume you. It blinds you and makes do some dumb stuff, my friend," Girard sneered, stepping aside to let Storm past.

The Rainbow operative gave Girard one more vengeful glare before turning to the white door before him. Rather than simply twist the knob, he kicked the door in, the door falling off of its hinges before clattering to the ground. The room before him was nothing but a bloody mess as the bodies of other Rainbow members were strewn around. Echo, Lesion, Buck, Mute, Caveira, Hibana...it was practically something out of a nightmare horror film. There was one other body, however, and that was Ash's, sat up in the far right corner of the room with her head hanging low. Her hair was a frizzled mess despite still remaining in its usual braided ponytail style but surprisingly, there appeared to be no blood on her.

"Eliza!"

Storm staggered into the room, his hand still clutching at his injured shoulder. Tripping over his own feet, he fell to his knees in front of Ash, quickly shaking her body by her shoulder.

"Eliza! Eliza!"

The shaking persisted as he tried to wake her up, still repeating her name several times over. The head appeared to slightly move at times but still no signs of Ash coming to an awakened state.

"Eliza…?"

Gently, Storm lifted her chin up and his pupils shrank at the sight of what he saw: Blood. Although it was dry by this point, it was obvious enough that Girard had murdered Ash by slitting her throat. The pent up anger and hate quickly surged forth as Storm turned back to the doorway, drawing his gun.

"GIRARD!"

A shot rang out, catching Storm in the knee this time, leaving him in agony on the floor as the pistol fell beside him with a loud clatter. Girard calmly stepped into the room, gun in hand as he walked over to the operative, who still hoped to get one final shot in as he tried to grab at the firearm. With a smug grin, Girard kicked the gun out of reach, Storm looking up at him with a faceful of hatred as he aimed the barrel at the crippled man.

"Allow me to reunite you two in death," Girard devilishly stated, cocking the gun.

"Fuck you…" Aiden murmured as he stared death in its face.

"So long, Aiden."

{...}

* * *

From his bed, Storm immediately shot up with panicked breath, his phone nearly flying off the bed with his earbuds. His hands reaching for his head, clutching at it as he struggled to comprehend what just happened. The sequence played over again in his mind, rendering him nauseous the more he thought about seeing all the dead bodies, the base in ruins, the White Masks having won against Rainbow, it was unbearable to think. Suddenly, a knock came at his door, greatly startling Storm as his body began to shake almost uncontrollably.

"Aiden?" a familiar voice called out.

"Eliza…" Storm muttered, his mind flashing back to what happened in the dream. "It's...it's unlocked."

He balled up on the mattress, forehead resting against his knees as he tried to steady his breathing and empty his mind, ridding it of the nightmare if he could. His body quickly tensed as Ash's hand fell onto his shoulder, nearly causing him to bite his own cheek out of stress.

"Hey," she quietly stated.

Storm didn't bother to look up at her as he was buried deep in his own mind. His hands slowly moved behind his head, fingers interlocking with one another as he drew in a slow, deep breath and exhaling it in similar fashion before bringing his arms back around and slipping them under his forehead.

"Aiden…"

Briefly, he looked up at Ash with blank, red eyes before resting his head back down.

"I…" he choked, struggling to formulate some kind of response.

The breathing started to become irregular once more as Storm struggled to maintain his composure. Several words floated around in his mind, trying to piece together something to say but easily found himself failing to do so. In the midst of his thought process, he almost failed to notice Ash sitting on the edge of his bed but he could feel her staring right at him.

"I'm...I'm scared…" Storm finally breathed.

"Scared?" Ash inquired, a puzzled look popping up on her face.

"I'm scared of the future…" Storm murmured, his throat tightening with each word.

He pressed his forehead against his arms more as he drew his legs in as much as he could. His body still continued to tremble slightly while Ash looked on rather helplessly, unsure of what to do. With a quiet sigh, she maneuvered herself behind Storm, gently wrapping her arms around him as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"That scene...it felt so real…" Storm continued.

"What scene?" Ash asked, tilting her head.

"Dream, no, nightmare would be the more fitting term. I thought the base had been attacked when I heard the explosions and smelled smoke. I saw bodies strewn across the corridors, I witnessed someone get killed...it was a killing zone. Everyone was dead…...and it wasn't until Girard put a bullet in my face that I did wake up," he croaked, the sound of fear radiating in his voice. "I don't want this to fail...I've got so many responsibilities to uphold and if everything falls apart…."

"Aiden...don't," Ash remarked, cutting him off.

She maneuvered her arms up so she had them wrapped around Storm's neck as she leaned her head against the back of his. Although it was rather faint, sounds of the reserved operative crying through gritted teeth could easily be detected, his fingernails digging into his arms as a means to hide his weakness. The signs only made Ash hug him tighter in order to give Storm some reassurance in the matter.

"...It's a tough situation to deal with, that much I know, Aiden, but you're not alone in shouldering this burden. Everyone's worried about the outcome of this but like any elite operative, we stand strong in the face of failure because that's how we built ourselves from the ground up."

Ash moved over to Storm's side, taking his face in her hands and slowly turning his face toward her. Clear tear stains rested below the man's eyes, his gaze not rising up to meet Ash's as he continued to wallow within his own thoughts. HIs teeth still sat clenched, almost grinding a bit out of stress.

"Don't let it get to you that much, Aiden. You got a lot of people here to offer a hand up if you feel like you're falling and you know we'll catch you and pull you back up. Never forget that while you're here. Don't stay in your shell forever when you have those people around willing to help out."

Gently, she pulled Storm into a hug, cradling his head against her chest. A grunt through gritted teeth resonated from Storm at the small thought of help but with the contact between him and Ash, he simply let his body relax, letting the tension flow out of him as his shoulders lowered and his limbs becoming less stiff.

" _Help...the one thing I always never asked for unless someone noticed my predicament. It's a concept I never fully understood even in school. I only wanted the mindset of being able to do things on my own but my stubbornness only hurt me and now look at me: A sulking giant."_

Internally, Storm sighed at the thought.

" _I still don't fully know myself then if this is the case. I don't know even know if I really fit in with most of the people save for the inner circle I got. Combine this with the PTSD...and I'm just an utter mess of a human. Maybe...it is time to put out a call for help…"_

* * *

 _August 9, 2018_

 **Time: 8:09 P.M.**

 **Location: Portier Estate, Nantes, Pays de la Loire, France**

"The hell do you mean you won't help us, Robert?" Girard growled, fists planted on the mahogany desk belonging to the leader of Unione Corse.

"You've run your river dry, Jourdain. First, you ask for assistance in order to help keep you low and now you're asking for help to exit the country and somehow jump to the States on the WEST COAST no less. I may have connections but the international ones ought to be your doing, Grand Master," Portier chided, his eyes now bearing a fierce look.

"So you just think I got immediate access to other criminal networks all because I hold a title? Is that where your brain's going?"

"Considering you used to work under me and I mentored you in your career, then yes."

"You old sack of shit…"

In a fury, Girard reached over and grabbed Portier by the shirt, yanking him up out of the chair. The underlings of both men in the room immediately raced over and started trying their hardest to separate the two as Girard began to shout obscenities at his former mentor with Portier doing the same in retaliation. As the men managed to get firm grips on both in order to pull them away, Girard spat at Portier, catching him square in the face with a glob of saliva. Infuriated, Portier began making his way around the desk, pushing his Corse men out of the way while the White Masks were trying to keep Jourdain at bay.

"You fucking scum! You think you can just disrespect like that?! I'm the goddamn leader of Unione Corse and I won't hesitate to turn your ass over to the cops and send you back behind bars, Jourdain!"

"Motherfucker…!"

Breaking out of the holds on him, Girard quickly surged forward, pushing the people trying to keep him back out of his way. In a flash, he suddenly drew his sidearm and without hesitation immediately pulled the trigger, sending a bullet through Portier's jaw. The Corse leader stumbled back in bloody pain as he clutched at the gaping wound while others were quickly trying to position themselves between them but Girard forced them back by firing a few rounds into the ceiling.

"I'm done with your shit, Robert."

Aiming his sights down on Portier again, Girard fired off four more shots in quick succession, with two catching Portier in the side of the head and the other two in the neck, making the man fall to the ground as he stumbled into his desk, blood coating the corner of it along with the carpet now being stained. Striding forward, Girard didn't bother to look down at Portier as he fired off the remainder of his clip into the back of Portier's head, a grimacing scowl resting on his face as he pulled the trigger on the now empty pistol a few times before throwing it onto the ground in silent anger. The rest of the room was silent after everyone had just witnessed an absolute murder right in front of them. Turning on his heels, Girard made his way back toward the White Masks, pushing his way through the cluster of men until he came to LaRue who was somewhat shaking at the sight of what had just happened.

"S-S-Sir?"

"I want everyone in this room that isn't a White Mask dead, Olivier," Girard growled, turning the handle on the door.

"W-What?" LaRue nervously asked, stepping back.

"Give them the order, Olivier. NOW!"

The young Frenchman nearly jumped out of his boots at the intensity of his leader's voice. Swallowing hard, he turned to the closest Mask, whispering the shoot-to-kill order in his ear. The man blankly stared at LaRue out of confusion but the vice leader only nodded in confirmation before heading out the door after Girard. With a sigh, the White Mask stepped forward, whispering to the others to draw out their firearms as he moved to the head of the group. Standing at the helm, the Mask cleared his throat as he looked out across the Corse members.

"...Today is the day you all DIE!"

In a flash of muzzles and bullets, the screams of men being pelted with gunfire radiated in the room as the sect of Unione Corse was massacred in brutal fashion. Outside in the corridor, Girard and LaRue walked side by side with the commotion going on behind them. LaRue was still shaken by the ordeal but Girard only bore a smirk that would make any supervillain proud of what he had accomplished. As they reached the top of the stairs, a door just behind them opened up, a young boy no older than six or seven stepping out as he looked down the hallway with the arm of a teddy bear clutched in his right hand.

"Uh...sir…?" LaRue asked.

"Leave him. The men will know better than to kill a child. We aren't _that_ cruel, Olivier. Now c'mon. We got a flight to catch. Hopefully, our other contact is willing to answer our call for help," Girard beckoned, beginning his descent.

"Papa?" the boy asked, his attention still focused on the doors leading into the massacre behind them.

LaRue froze in his tracks as he looked back at the kid. His muscles stiffened, almost refusing to move as he stood at the top of the flight of stairs, his stomach becoming uneasy very quickly.

"Oliver, move."

"Yes...sir."

Hanging his head low, Olivier started his descent down the stairs, tailing after Girard. He wanted to look back once more but at the same time, he didn't want to keep dragging his feet behind Girard knowing they had a massive agenda to deal with and dealing with small things wasn't going to make anything any easier for them nor would it draw the group closer to the goal. Only one goal still stood clear to him: And that was enacting vengeance against Team Rainbow.


	15. Hate To Say This

Hey guys, been sometime now hasn't it? It pains me to say this but I don't think I'll be continuing this story anymore but hear me out.

A few days ago I got a message from one of the readers asking when I was going to start updating the story again and it didn't really strike me at first until I realized which story they were referring to. I had mostly forgotten that it was still here but with the current IRL circumstances and commitments I have going on, I don't really have enough time to devote to writing stories anymore not to mention my passion for Rainbow Six Siege has dwindled down a lot so I almost have no inspiration to write anything new.

Sad to say but this is most likely the end of the line, at least for now. One day I might come back around and work on it again should something spark in me to one day finish this but presently, the desire isn't there. I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading this while it still was going but at the same time, I want to apologize for not putting out content in a timely fashion.

Thanks for taking the time to read this update folks, and until then, hope you all have a good rest of your week.

\- H


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